The Fourth Crimson Sky
by HoneyLake
Summary: James was vaguely aware that the sky outside his window produced a bright crimson. He could have thought of blood. He could have thought of the fate right before him. His last thought, at the end, was of Lily's smile.
1. Prologue: At The End

**The Fourth Crimson Sky**

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**A/N: **Though I do have definite plans for this fanfiction, I don't have every detail completely set in stone. I'm going to see where the characters take me, because we all know that they have a mind of their own. If you feel like you have an idea or a suggestion, let me know!

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own the world of Harry Potter. The ideas, characters, and events in this fanfiction are based off the magic of J.K. Rowling._

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**Prologue:** At The End

It was late, but still the sky flushed red.

Voldemort scanned the scene of a quaint house in Godric's Hollow, watching as James Potter produced bubbles from his wand, smiling as his young son laughed and reached for them. Though his face was impassive, Voldemort's heart raced in anger. How a young boy could create such anger in the power wizard, he would never speculate on.

A white hand emerged from the depths of a long, black cloak. The wand he held glinted red from the sky, as Voldemort unlocked the door with a flick. The people inside the house froze and Voldemort's lips turned upward in a small, rare smile. They had been so trusting. It had always been James Potter's downfall. He watched as the wife fled upstairs in fear, holding onto his target, though he wasn't worried.

This time, they had nowhere to run.

Voldemort's eyes burned into James's but, for once, the other's showed no fear. Potter had always been defiant and bold, but even the bravest of Gryffindors often failed to keep eye contact with the Dark Lord. Voldemort and James had become quite the acquaintances in the past few years, but no encounter had ever felt as good as this one. The betrayal the other man felt was written on his face and Voldemort knew there would be no wand to stop him this time.

He did not wait, for patience had never been the kindest of sorts. Too many years had he spent wasting, fighting the Order of the Phoenix. Too many hours had he sought after a child, knowing that only one could survive. Too many minutes had he stared at his own reflection through Potter's glasses, knowing that he was not yet immortal.

He raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

In his final moments, James Potter did not see memories of his life flash before his eyes. Instead, he saw what actually mattered. Sirius, his trademark lazy smile still playing at his lips. Remus, the rare twinkle in his eyes that only his friends were accustomed to. Peter, his even voice perfect for getting anyone to trust him.

Harry, his wide eyes looking at his father with the pure happiness only a child could provide.

James was vaguely aware that the sky outside his window produced a bright crimson. He could have thought of blood. He could have thought of the fate right before him. Instead, he remembered something else that burned with the same color. He saw her hair flying as she turned from him angrily. He remembered the silkiness of it underneath his fingers. He recalled the sight of it shielding her face, as she sang their baby boy to sleep.

He shut his eyes, determined to die without a trace of fear on his face. He wanted to be peaceful for whoever found him. With all of his might, he hung onto that last thought. For, as much regret his life could be filled with, loving her was something he would never change.

His last thought, at the end, was of Lily's smile.

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**A/N: **So, I know this was short, but it's just the prologue. Other chapters will be longer. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 1: The Cottage Across the Street

**A/N: **Hey everyone! There has been a lot of traffic to the story and a few people who have either made it a favorite or added it to their alert list. Thanks so much for the support and I hope you'll review this time around! It really does help keep the authors motivated!

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This chapter is dedicated to **JessandDarcy **for being the first reviewer! Thank you, JessandDarcy!

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**Chapter One: **The Cottage Across the Street

A low, rumbling noise could be heard from the otherwise silent streets of Godric's Hollow. The sun had gone down many hours before, children had already been called by parents to the safety of their homes, and many residents were tucked in their beds. Even so, a pair of glassy eyes appeared in the window, searching the scene for the source of the noise.

Eleanor Morgan looked up and down the street, her eyes bright with the thought that more gossip would found. An old woman of ninety-five, Eleanor refused her children's protest of bringing her to a home long ago. She insisted on living – and subsequently dying – in the house that her late husband, Alphard, had built when her oldest daughter was just a bun in the oven. Though she thought she knew the town of Godric's Hollow like the back of her hand, she couldn't help feel uneasy when situations like this one arose.

A relatively quaint town, odds things were always happening. The Potters, who lived across the street, had a bigger, nicer house than the one Alphard had built and Eleanor suspected they were quite wealthy, though she did not know what Mr. or Mrs. Potter did for a living. Though they did not own a car, Eleanor often spotted large parties occurring there and Mrs. Potter could sometimes be seen sporting some of the finest jewelry Eleanor had ever seen.

She knew that the entire town had a strange air to it, but it seemed as if much of the ruckus came from the Potter's household. Eleanor assumed it was due to their teenage son, who went to a boarding school during the year, as she knew what it was like to raise a teenage boy. However, some of the things that happened on the block just could not be explained. She swore she often saw someone appear out of nowhere and she just knew she heard an explosion coming from the Potter household more than once.

When Alphard was alive, Eleanor liked to rant about the phenomenons of Godric's Hollow, her eyes always wide in excitement and wonder. Without even looking up from the paper, her husband would sip his tea and reply, "It's just your imagination, dear" or "Aren't the woes of old age wonderful?" She would close her mouth at the depreciation of his words, but she was certain Alphard was hiding something from her. She couldn't very well argue about the fact that the occasional owl would stop by their window, as if waiting for something, or how the woman down the street seemed to be a little _too _friendly to her late husband. She did not bring any of this up to Alphard, of course. It was just not what a dutiful wife would do to the man who had fought on the trenches for Britain during World War II. Still, she often wondered what Alphard had taken to his grave.

The noise on Godric's Hollow was growing louder and Eleanor spotted a bus bouncing down the road. This was odd, as it was too late for many buses to be out and never had one of Britain's officials driven through her town. The bus' structure was also different than she had ever seen before. It had three different decks to it and was a deep purple color. It was traveling too fast down the road and zigzagging between one side of the road and the other. She swore it was going to hit two cars parked on the street, but it just squeezed past them, as if shrinking in size. Her mouth fell open in disbelief.

Sure enough, the bus stopped in front of the Potter's house and a young man with black hair stepped out. He was carrying a piece of luggage, a guitar case was strapped to his back, and strangely enough, he was holding onto a broomstick. At first glance, she thought this was Mr. and Mrs. Potter's son, James, but a quick look at the hair proved that it wasn't the case.

Though they were equally shades of dark, this boy's hair fell handsomely around his face in a sleek way that young James' could never manage. He ran a hand through it in irritation as it fell into his eyes and he turned to say something to the driver of the bus. Oh, how Eleanor wished she could hear his words.

As soon as the boy turned back around and headed towards the front doors of the Potter's, the bus disappeared, going faster than Eleanor had ever seen a vehicle travel. Adjusting the strap on his case and dragging the trunk behind him, he stared at the door. He raised a finger and brought it to the doorbell, but hesitated. When he whipped around suddenly, Eleanor wondered if he was going to leave, but the boy just sighed and a newfound look of determination passed his handsome features. He rang the doorbell and, after a few moments, the light went on inside.

Mrs. Potter appeared in the doorway, still in her nightgown and curlers in her hair. She looked at the boy, her hands going up to her mouth in worry before ushering him in. Eleanor could see through the door's window as Mrs. Potter turned to call someone and more lights appeared upstairs.

Both Mr. Potter and James came down the stairs, staring at the newcomer in shock. Eleanor watched as James pulled the taller boy into a hug and smiled at him, saying something that made the boy laugh. A short conversation seemed to ensue, as the lad from the bus rubbed his neck nervously. Soon, James was grabbing his things and the Potters were heading upstairs. Eleanor craned her neck to see more, but lost focus once the boys reached the top step. Right before the lights went out, she saw James clasp his hand on the new boy's shoulder, which seemed to ease the tension in his posture.

For some reason, unknown to her, Eleanor smiled, suddenly glad for the oddness of Godric's Hollow.

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_Dear Marlene,_

Things are fine. The summer weather is wonderful, but it's awfully slow around here. I'm eagerly waiting to go back to Hogwarts to see you and Emme. And start classes, though I know that you don't understand that. Some people actually

like_learning, hun. How are Sam and your mum? Send them my love, will you?_

The date was a disaster. I'm sure you're looking for details and I'll give them to you once I stop cringing. Let's just say that there was a fiasco with the ice cream and I thought he was horribly rude about it. That's the last time I'm taking Emmeline's advice on

_ anything to do with males. Thanks for writing to wish me luck, though. I thought it was awfully sweet of you._

_I'm sending those Muggle candies you like and I hope that they don't melt in this hot weather. I'll put a charm on them, just in ca-_"Lily, they're here!"

Her mother's voice wafted up the stairs, interrupting her letter-writing, and Lily rolled her eyes. Her older sister, Petunia, was coming by the house with her boyfriend for a late lunch. Though her stomach grumbled beneath her light-weight blouse, Lily wasn't looking forward to the visit. It had been a long time since her sister and she had gotten along, but the tension just seemed to worsen whenever Petunia brought Vernon along. The heavy male was older than Petunia and quite wealthy, which Lily's sister definitely enjoyed. He was, however, quite bad-mannered. Lily had gotten used to the foul things he had to say about Spinner's End, which resided just down the lane from Lily's childhood home. He often talked about politics and petty things as if he was above them and Lily frequently found herself biting her tongue in effort to save herself from argument. Of course, those weren't the only things Lily didn't like about Vernon Dursley. He didn't know she spent most of the year at the wizarding school, Hogwarts, or that she held any magical abilities.

She didn't know what was worse; the fact that she was quite aware Vernon would not approve of her talents or that Petunia was too ashamed to tell him.

"Coming, Mum!" she called back, putting her quill on the table and capping the bottle of ink. She opened the door to her bedroom but, before she could even take a step out, someone appeared in front of her, blocking the way. She forced a tight-lipped smile. "Hello, Tuney."

"Lily." Her sister's voice was terse, as always, but many years as friends showed Lily that there was a slight nervousness underneath. "I just wanted to talk to you before you em…"

She stopped, her eyes moving over her sister's body, taking in the ponytail and plain blouse in obvious distaste. "Is that what you're wearing?"

Lily felt her reserve already faltering and they hadn't even put the kettle on yet. "It's not like I've never met him before."

Petunia glared at Lily for a moment, before sighing. "Well, it'll have to do, won't it? I came up here to tell you to not do any of that…" she eyed Lily's wand, which was stuck in the belt loops of her shorts. "…_freak _stuff that you can do at home, now that you're seventeen. I still haven't told him. In fact-" Petunia made a move, as if reaching for the wand, but Lily took a step back.

"I'll keep it up here, ok?" Lily said, placing the wand on the bookshelf by the door, and Petunia nodded, satisfied.

As the two girls began the walk to the stairs, the silence became incredibly awkward. Lily could remember a time where Petunia was her best friend. Those were the days before Hogwarts, when Lily's abilities were still chalked up to images of the mind and child's play. Both girls loved the idea of witches and wizards back then, toying with the thought that maybe they would have their own fairytale someday. Of course, that was before their imaginations became a reality… for one of them, at least.

"So… er… how's University?" Lily asked quietly, in effort to make conversation.

"It's… fine." Petunia answered, though she wouldn't meet Lily's eye. "Vernon just got accepted into an internship for a company in London. It will be wonderful to have on a resume when he graduates next May."

"That's lovely!" Lily managed to fill her voice with fake excitement, even though she hadn't asked about _Vernon. _

They made it down the steps, Petunia still talking about her boyfriend, when their mother appeared, an apron draped around her waist. "Girls!" Maggie Evans said and Lily noticed that she looked a bit relieved to see them. Maggie recovered quickly, though, and smiled at her daughters. "About time you've joined us. Vernon was just telling me about his internship, dear," she added to the older of her two children.

Petunia's smile widened and her cheeks flushed. "Did he mention that the Vice President wrote to him personally?"

"A few times, love," Maggie said, grinning. Petunia didn't notice the slight sardonic tone beneath their mother's voice, but Lily looked at Maggie and the two shared a knowing smirk before heading into the dining room.

Vernon was sitting in the chair nearest the door, his backside hanging slightly off the seat, and Lily stifled a giggle. One look at the eager kiss her sister gave the man, however, and the humor faded away. Though Lily had doubted the existence of Prince Charming long ago, Vernon Dursley wasn't even close to what the two young Evans girls had dreamt of for their future. He turned to Lily and smiled a grin that was all together fake and condescending.

Oh, this was going to be a long few hours indeed.

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"And it's Potter with the Quaffle, just off the sidelines. He's moving fast, folks. Bludger, hit by Davis, is coming straight towards him and he looks like he's right in the line of fire, but- OH WAIT- he's slanting… this can't be… but YES! HE'S DODGED IT! Some great moves by James Potter on the field tonight."

Looking from the outside, one could not see the field behind 42 Godric's Hollow. In fact, the backyard of the Potter's looked nothing but ordinary, which suited James just fine. It meant he didn't need to be discrete when practicing his favorite sport, Quidditch.

"Yes, he's flying towards the left goal, but it looks like Lewis is way ahead of him. Potter's still going for it, flying toward Lewis with an accuracy that hasn't been seen since Donald Purdue's retirement. And Potter's arching his arm, but he doesn't shoot! AND THERE'S A ROLL IF I'VE EVER SEEN ONE! YES! HE SCORES! POTTER SCORES AFTER PERFORMING ONE OF THE BEST POTTER POST-OUTS I'VE EVER SEEN!"

James raised his arms in mock cheer and guided his broom back to Sirius, who was yards behind him in the middle of the field. His friend had a cool smirk on his face, his eyebrow cocked in amusement. "The Potter Post-Out?" he said lightly. "I've never heard of such a thing."

"Not yet, you haven't," James pointed out confidently, running a hand through his hair.

"There wasn't even a keeper. We were only supposed to be practicing your passing."

James smirked. "Couldn't help myself. Come up with the move just a few weeks ago. Basic sideline fly, with a roll to the center. Toss it into the middle hoop while the keeper is guarding either side. It's actually pretty simple, once you get the roll down."

"And the name?"

"Nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Oh, definitely. I reckon it'll be the only move the fangirls will bother to remember."

Sirius had been at Godric's Hollow for about a week and James was having more fun in the summer months than he could ever remember. Growing up, he had been one of the few children in the village and had learned to entertain himself with mischief even before he had his own wand. Of course, it was much more fun with an ally and Sirius had been the best since the two met on the train for their first year at Hogwarts.

"Let's go see what Mum's been cooking, yeah?" James said and both boys pushed their brooms downward, leaving them by the back door as they entered into the kitchen. Sure enough, Adelie Potter had left a plate of biscuits on the table.

James had gotten used to be spoiled in his household. An older couple, the Potters had gotten married in 1937 knowing fully well that Adelie would likely not be able to produce children. Coming from a background of pureblood practices, Adelie's parents had never dreamt of marrying their 'crippled' daughter off. Adelie's parents hadn't known the powers of true love – as they had never experienced it – enough to see that Harold Potter wouldn't care about continuing on the bloodline, as long as he could have the beautiful witch in his arms forever.

When James came along, albeit later in life, Adelie had been astonished. Granted she probably shouldn't have spoiled the boy as much as she did, but she couldn't help herself. The miracle that had come in the form of a little baby boy was something she vowed never to take for granted. And, even with the detention slips that often came home from Hogwarts, she knew that she had raised her son right.

Sirius picked up _The Daily Prophet, _which had been lying on the table, unopened. After scanning the front page headline, he whistled lowly and read aloud. "Six dead in Winscroft; suspected Death Eater involvement." He looked to James, his eyes cloudy. "You reckon he was involved?"

"Bringing a sixteen year old to Winscroft? Doubt it. There are too many skilled wizards that live there. Even Voldemort's not daft enough to risk it."

"But you never know, right?" Sirius insisted. "I mean, they _are _training him. What better way than bringing him along, showing him the ropes? It's not like he could _refuse_, now that he's… you know_._"

"Padfoot," James' voice was firm and he looked his best friend in the eye. "I'm sure Regulus is fine."

Sirius averted his eyes, suddenly interested in the biscuits at the table. "I wasn't _worried._"

James didn't pry, knowing the conversation was over. He didn't want to talk about the Death Eaters anyway. This was supposed to be his summer vacation and Voldemort and his upcoming army had already consumed too much of his time and thoughts. It was only a few months ago they had been here, in his home.

"What do you say we go light that old bag's garden on fire?" Sirius said suddenly as the tension left the room. "She keeps looking in my window. I think she's trying to catch me while changing."

"Mrs. Morgan is _not _trying to catch a peep at you, Sirius."

"You never know, Prongs. The old women, they've just got a thing for me. It's why McGonagall only took 10 points for that stunt with the rugs in 5th year."

As the boys walked up the stairs to James' room they turned the conversation to what McGonagall does during her summer months, both laughing.

* * *

"Who are you writing to?" Evelyn Lupin's voice came quietly from Remus' bedroom doorway. "A girl?"

Remus smiled softly. His mother had been inquiring about girlfriends more than usual lately and he couldn't help but wonder if she was starting to give up on her son's ability to make a girl like him. "No," he answered, putting his quill down and turning in his seat to look at her. "It's just Peter. It's his birthday in a few days and I want to make sure this gets there in time."

"That's thoughtful, love." She made to take a step in the room, but hesitated. "Can I come in?"

"Since when do you ask?"

"Since my baby grew up," she said, but walked into the room and over to Remus anyway. "Seventeen now. I can't believe it."

"It's just one more year, Mum," Remus said, pretending to be embarrassed, as she took the seat next to him. "Nothing changed." Even as he said it, he knew it wasn't true. Everything had changed since the year before.

"I know," Evelyn sighed. "But, in a few weeks, you'll be going back to school. Your last year. And then, after graduation, I'm sure you'll want to leave your poor ol' mum and, oh I don't know, get a job or something."

They both fell quiet, and Remus knew she was thinking the same thing as he. Remus wouldn't be getting a job after graduation. Not until the Ministry rethought their policies, at least. Still, Evelyn managed to perk up, though the conversation wasn't as comfortable as it had been a moment before. "Are you planning on visiting your friends at the Potter's this summer? You always have a lot of fun there."

Remus' gaze darkened, thinking of what James had told him in his last letter; that Sirius had run away from home and was now staying with him in Godric's Hollow. He shook his head. "No, I think I'll just stay home this year." He forced his tone to lighten and smiled at Evelyn. "Just hang out with my dear ol' mum, since she can't handle me growing up."

She stood up and reached over to ruffle his hair. "And don't you forget it."

She turned to walk from the room but, as she reached the doorway, she went into a fit of coughing. "Are you alright, Mum?" Remus asked, getting out of his seat to help her.

She put her hand up to stop him. "I'm fine, dear. Just those allergies, you know?" Remus nodded, but knew she was lying. She had never had allergies before.

He couldn't help but wonder that maybe all those excuses about her being ill had actually caught up to him.

* * *

Years ago, before Peter had gone to Hogwarts, he hated Hollingsberry. A dreary Muggle neighborhood, the parents were miserable and the children brutal. Growing up, Peter had often been subjected to violence and torment by the kids who thought that he was weird for being 'homeschooled,' though they really didn't know any better. He would dream of the days when he would get his letter to Hogwarts and, subsequently, receive a wand of his own. Of course, it would be years before he could _actually _use it on the boys of Hollingsberry, but he could dream.

He never thought that Hogwarts would bring other confidences. After all, he was just the weird boy with the beautiful socialite of a mother who had obviously married the ugly businessman Peter calls father for his money. He never expected it to be different when he went to school.

For the first couple of weeks, he was happy. Though he didn't have many friends, people did not make fun of him either. With many groups, he treaded the line between invisibility and acquaintance, which suited him just fine. It was better than mockery and torture.

What he never expected was for James Potter to make a decision. A decision that, in the long run, probably didn't affect his friend all that much. Of course, James' choice to expand his friendship to Peter had been the biggest change in the pudgier boy's life. By some miracle – or maybe it was just luck – Peter had been in the right place at the right time.

"_Oh bollocks, we're in trouble now," _James was saying. Their prank with the sandwiches had gone horribly wrong. _"They were supposed to make people _sing, _Sirius, not make them _sick!"

Sirius, who was lounging on his bed, didn't look so perturbed. _"So what? It's just a detention or two. Nothing we can't handle."_

"_But the first Hogsmeade trip is this weekend!" _James protested angrily. _"And, with at least 30 Slytherins in the hospital wing, I reckon we'll have to clean the trophies. It'll take us all day!"_

"_So what?" _Sirius repeated, sitting up. _"We can't even _go _to Hogsmeade for another two years. Don't get your panties in a twist, Potter."_

James shot his friend a look. _"I had something _planned _for this weekend. It would've been helpful had most of the students been out of the school."_

Now, Sirius visibly perked up. With the idea of the next prank already on his mind, the possibility of detention had been forgotten. _"Well, what is it?" _he said.

James grinned and sat on the edge of Sirius' bed, obviously excited. Apparently, both boys' attention spans didn't last long when it came to mischief. _"I was thinking we could charm the chandeliers so that, every time the lanterns come on, they…"_

James' voice was cut off by another. Remus Lupin had walked into the room, quiet enough that the boys didn't notice, and had addressed them. Both James' and Sirius' eyebrows shot up in surprise. They had been staying in the dormitory together for seven weeks and they had barely heard the pale boy's voice. _"Err," _Lupin began. _"Professor McGonagall wants to see you two."_

James sighed and Sirius rolled his eyes, but neither boy protested. In the short amount of time they had been staying at Hogwarts, they'd gotten to know their Head of House quite well. Lupin didn't say anything in response to his dorm mates' nods of affirmation. Instead, he turned and walked into the loo, closing the door behind him.

James and Sirius trekked their way to McGonagall's office slowly, not eager to get their punishment. When they arrived and opened the door, they were surprised to see their fourth dorm mate already talking to the professor. When McGonagall saw them enter, she handed Peter a few feet of parchment, which looked like last week's Transfiguration assignment. _"You're dismissed, Mr. Pettigrew. And, next time, remember that I'm looking for quality, not quantity. You can write 6 feet about whatever object you used for your switching spell, but that still doesn't tell me that you know how to perform one."_

Peter's ears turned pink, especially at the knowledge that his two popular dorm mates had heard the exchange. _"Yes, Professor," _he squeaked, turning to go towards the door with looking at either Sirius or James.

McGonagall turned her attention away from the shorter boy and focused on his two mischievous classmates. She sighed. _"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, I'm afraid you're starting to make this a regular occurrence. Are you aware that there are 33 Slytherin students, currently in the hospital wing with stomach pains and vomiting?"_

James answered first. _"We heard something about that. A shame, really, Professor. Have you looked into the house elves?"_

Sirius was quick to jump on board. _"It was only a matter of time before they fought back. I'm sure you know the story of the famous Slytherin-House Elf feud. It's been going on for years, Professor. I'm surprised you needed to bring _us _in to tell you."_

"_According to Flitwick's revealing charm, the spell was put on the sandwiches _after _the house elves finished making them. At the same time the Gryffindor first years had their free period. Where you two were absent."_

"_And you suspected us?" _Sirius said, amusement threatening on the edge of his tone. _"Honestly, Professor, don't you think that's setting us up to fail? Self-fulfilling prophecy and all that?" _

"_Sirius and I stayed in the common room during free period… to finish up your assignment," _James offered after stifling a grin at Sirius' comment.

"_Boys…" _McGonagall began, her voice exasperated. She was, however, cut off by a voice near the entrance to her office.

"_They're telling the truth."_

Being on the cusp of invisibility was sometimes very, very useful, Peter Pettigrew pondered silently. He had been standing in the room during the entire conversation, shocked by James and Sirius' confidence (though he probably shouldn't have been), and neither they nor McGonagall had noticed his existence. _"I know I shouldn't have stayed," _he reprimanded himself quickly. _"But, Professor, they're not lying. They _were _in the common room. We were…" _A quick look to James Potter. _"…we were doing your assignment. I thought James could help me since, you know, I haven't been doing so well and he's at the top of your class. James and Sirius were both there… with me."_

James and Sirius looked at each other in disbelief. Surely this wasn't the same pudgy boy from their dormitory. They had barely spoken to him and yet, here he was, lying for them with such ease that both were impressed. A slow smile fell across James' face. _"See, it wasn't us. We were with…" _He hesitated, trying to recall the other's name. "…_Peter the whole time."_

After a few moments and several details from Peter, all three boys were sent on their way.  
Waiting until they had turned the corner, James and Sirius burst out into laughter. _"That was brilliant!"_

"_You lied like a pro!"_

"_-Got us out of it!"_

"_McGonagall's face!"_

"_Can't believe it!"_

Peter allowed himself to smile, the beating in his heart even faster than it had been a moment before, when he deceived the strict – and slightly frightening – Head of House. Were James Potter and Sirius Black actually having a laugh… with _him? _When the boys' laughter subsided, Sirius pointed his finger at Peter. _"You're alright."_

They exchanged a look and, though Peter didn't catch what it meant, it seemed as if the two had come to some sort of non-verbal agreement. _"Say, Pete," _James began, his lopsided, arrogant grin sliding into place. _"Have any plans for this Saturday?"_

Yes, he had definitely had luck on his side. Honestly, he couldn't tell you where his ease with dishonesty came from. Maybe it was from watching his mother pretend to love his father. Maybe it came from years of lying to himself, pretending that he didn't care what the kids in the neighborhood thought.

It reality, it was probably because Peter needed to be good at _something _if he wanted to keep his friends around. He had gotten them out of more sticky situations than they could count and, he knew that if he were to suddenly break, he would no longer be needed. He doubted that James would throw him away so easily (after all, he had accepted a werewolf and Black into the group), but one couldn't be too comfortable. Peter had finally made friends – popular friends – and he wasn't ready to stop climbing yet.

* * *

**A/N: **I tried to get a little bit of every Marauder and Lily in there for this chapter. There will more characters than just them later on but, as this is a Marauder-era fanfiction, they are the most important. I hope no one is angry about the lack of James/Lily interaction in this chapter. It'll happen in due time.

**A/N: **I currently don't have a beta. Right now, I'm just looking it over myself. Of course, it's always helpful to have an extra set of eyes and, if anyone is interested, you can shoot me an email at my fanfiction account (my_stories04 ) or send me a message on here. Preferably, this would be a person who likes detail to timelines and has a vast knowledge of the Marauders and company.

**Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated! Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 2: Letters

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added me to their alerts and favorites! You have no idea how much I appreciate your support!

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This chapter is dedicated to **katielovesharrypotter! **Katie offered to be my beta reader and she helped beta this chapter!

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A special thanks to **firstandforemostalovestory **(from tumblr), whose excitement about this story really help motivate me to keep writing. Thanks so much!

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**Chapter Two: **Letters

The walls were lined with floating, glowing lights, illuminating the expensive portraits and decorations Mrs. Pettigrew had bought for the occasion. The tables near the big, overlooking windows were lined with enough food to rival a Hogwarts feast. It only held what Mrs. Pettigrew called _'classy dining,'_which meant the pastries weren't filled with strawberries and the punch was bland. And yet, people were still hovering around with au devours on silver plates.

Peter sighed at the scene. The murmur of his parents' pretentious friends' boring conversations filled the rooms and he was bored. He wished he had someone to talk to, but the only people his age that liked to attend these things were either trying to kiss up to their potential future bosses or had some sort of stick up their arse.

Or they were part of the Slytherin house which, to Peter, was much worse.

He noticed his parents in the corner of the room, his mother's hand draped lovingly over his father's arm, and he scowled. Parties such as these were about the only time his mother ever showed affection to his father, which made it obvious it was all for show. Much to Peter's dismay, Mrs. Pettigrew looked beautiful in long, silk golden dress robes and diamond earrings. Mr. Pettigrew, however, looked sweaty beneath his own black dress robes and particularly short compared to his wife, who donned four inch heels.

Peter noticed one of his father's particularly chatty co-workers heading his way, no doubt to brag about his son, who recently received a position in the Department of Magical Transportation. He grabbed a glass of champagne off one of the floating trays and quickly ducked into the hallway, away from the party.

Downing his glass and placing it on some random counter, Peter continued on his way out the back, the tension only easing from his shoulders once he hit the fresh air outside. However, he quickly realized he wasn't the only one who had attempted escape.

Hestia Jones had whipped around at the sound of the door, pushing something Peter couldn't see behind her back. She had pulled her robes off and thrown them haphazardly across the patio chair. Instead of a nice dress underneath, she was wearing cutoff jeans and a shirt that was a bit too small. Peter forced himself not to look anywhere but her eyes.

They were wide from being startled but, as Peter watched, Hestia visibly relaxed. "Oh, it's just you," she said. "You shouldn't sneak up on a girl like that, Pete."

Peter just shrugged. "I didn't know anyone was out here."

"I had to get away. I hate these bloody things." She paused and looked at him out the corner of her eye. "No offense," she said, though it didn't sound very sincere.

"None taken. I hate 'em, too," Peter answered, and then pointed to her back. "What're you holding?"

Hestia looked slightly surprised, as if she had forgotten she was holding anything at all. She moved her hand and produced bottle of firewhiskey. "I nicked it from your cabinet," she explained. "I hope you don't mind. You have at least three more bottles in there, anyway. I thought you were my mum or someone coming, so I tried to hide it."

"You didn't do a very good job," Peter pointed out.

Hestia gave him a half-hearted glare. "Well, I didn't have much time!" she protested. "Besides, you should be nice to me if you want me to share."

Peter smirked. "But it's my house. I could go get another bottle if I wanted." Hestia stayed silent, rolling her eyes at him, and took a swig from the bottle. Realizing that this was the only person his age that he actually _wanted_to talk to, Peter tried again. "Aren't you supposed to be wearing something nice under your dress robes?"

Hestia stuck out her lower lip, turning fully to look at her old friend. "You don't think this is nice? Now you're just hurting my feelings."

Peter laughed. "You know what I mean. Your mother wouldn't approve."

"I know; that's why I wore it." She paused. "And since when is it about what I'm _supposed _to do? Aren't you a Marauder? You lot run around _trying _to find trouble."

"Trouble finds us," he said automatically. After years of pranking and mischief, it had become one of his and the lads' key phrases. He reached over and took the bottle from Hestia, bringing it to his own lips.

"Where's your mate?" Hestia asked, taking in Peter's lack of companionship.

Peter looked down, where his hands were fiddling with the bottle. He took another drink before answering. "James didn't come. Not after what… you know… what happened."

Hestia nodded her head knowingly. "How long has it been now?"

"Just over a month."

She sighed and ran a hand through her dark hair. "It's a shame, really. He wasn't a bad bloke. One of the few adult men at these things that _didn't _try and hit on me."

Peter raised an eyebrow, dubious. "Don't you think that's a little conceited?"

"Says the boy who hangs out with _James Potter,_" Hestia retorted, glaring.

He lifted up his hands, as if in surrender. "Didn't mean anything by it. Honestly." And, in reality, Hestia was probably right. With long, dark hair and piercing blue eyes, she was quite pretty. However, she wore too much make-up on her eyes and rolled up her skirts to make them shorter. She wasn't particularly sweet, but knew how to flirt the pants off a Hogwarts boy. Hestia was the kind of girl guys like Peter and his friends wanted to shag, but not bring home to their mums.

She took a seat on the bench and patted the space next to her. "Bring yourself and that bottle over here, Peter. We can talk about something else besides war, dead dads, and shagging. Well, maybe we can keep that last part. It's just too much fun to not stick in conversation, isn't it?"

Peter laughed and sat down, holding out the bottle for her to take.

* * *

Lily could almost see her reflection in the badge. She was smiling widely and, no matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop. This is what she had been working towards and, though she felt bad for the other prefects, she was more than excited for this honor.

It had been the first time in years that a muggle-born student had received the position of Head Girl. She would show them that blood didn't matter. She would be a symbol of hope, truth, and of a better future.

Or maybe she was just over-dramatizing.

No matter the case, she was honored. The letter McGonagall wrote was simple and elegant, just as her House of House had always been. She couldn't stop smiling as McGonagall explained basic duties. She couldn't stop smiling as she thought about how she would lead the first Prefects meeting. Alongside Remus, of course. It had to be Remus.

She skipped to the end, still smiling. When Alice had gotten the badge, two years prior, she had known of the Head Boy before school started. Lily was sure it was in here somewhere.

_You will be working alongside James Potter, who has received the title of Head Boy, _the letter said. McGonagall had written it so matter of fact, as if this were the most natural choice in the world.

Lily's smile fell.

"_What?"_

* * *

James' Hogwarts letter came early in the morning. He was already awake, deciding that he should probably go on a run after a few days of laziness and too much alcohol. Handing the school bird some owl treats absentmindedly, he threw his letter on the table without opening it.

It would've stayed there until his mother forced the boys to buy school stuff in Diagon Alley later that week. It would've stayed unopened, until it was absolutely necessary, as he didn't really care about school books or quills. It would've been forgotten, had it not fallen to the table with an unfamiliar _clank!, _causing James to spin around and reexamine it.

He snatched it off the table and broke open the seal quickly. Ignoring the regular school letter – there were three within the envelope – he reached inside and felt something smooth hit his fingers. The badge was gold and a bit larger than his Quidditch Captain one. It had the words 'Head Boy' etched into it and James felt his heart quicken.

Was this some sort of joke?

Placing the badge on the table, he reached in for the other letter. He half-expected it to be from Sirius. That his friend had sent him the letter as a prank and the badge would soon disappear into thin air. But, it was a letter from Dumbledore. And the badge stayed solid.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_To the proud man, this honor would come as no surprise. For you, however, I suspect something different. Perhaps you're wondering if I've eaten one too many earwax flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans and maybe you believe that I've taken up Quidditch and, in my old age, have fallen from my broom. My dear boy, if you think anything beyond the fact that you deserve the position of Head Boy, you would be mistaken._

_You have shown to me, James Potter, that the best person to bring together our school during these dark times is someone who understands the very small difference between two paths. You see, it takes more of a leader to help their enemies than their friends._

_Sincerely,_

_Headmaster Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

James read the letter twice, unsure if this was truly Dumbledore. It was obvious what incident the headmaster was referring to and yet, James thought it surprising that all the pranks, detentions, and mischief could be overseen by that one choice.

He thought of Remus. He had half a mind to send back the badge and write his own letter, explaining how he couldn't accept it. He wondered if his friend had received his letter yet or if he was still waiting on the news. It shouldn't have been James, really. It should have been Remus.

In the back of his mind, he knew it would never be Remus. It _could _never be Remus, but that didn't mean it shouldn't be.

He picked up the last letter, which was from Professor McGonagall, congratulating him on his position. It seemed much more generic, which left James wondering if Dumbledore wrote to all the Heads or just the ones who seemed like an odd choice. McGonagall explained some of the general Head Boy duties, along with the location of the Heads Office and the expectations of him for the Prefects meeting on the train ride to Hogwarts.

At the end of the letter, she mentioned who the Head Girl would be and James' heart dropped. He had done a good job at stopping his antics with Lily Evans the past year. He didn't ask her out at every chance and, without Snivellus to come between them, their relationship during 6th year was less dramatic than normal. But now…

James knew he wouldn't write to Dumbledore. Because, despite his efforts, it wouldn't go to Remus. He knew who was next in line. He knew that Severus Snape was probably eagerly waiting for his Hogwarts letter to come. Closing his eyes, he imagined Snape and Lily, working together and perhaps rekindling their friendship. He told himself he was doing it for her. So she wouldn't have to suffer by working with her ex-best mate.

James pretended it wasn't a lie.

* * *

"You _what?" _Lily's voice was entirely too loud for the occasion of afternoon tea. A few patrons next to the table where she, Petunia, her mother, and her father sat looked her way, startled, but she didn't seem to notice.

Petunia huffed and sat up straighter. "Vernon proposed. And I said yes. We're engaged to be married."

"Yes, I heard that," Lily said impatiently, pushing her thick, red hair out of her face, where it had fallen from her plait and hung around her face. "What I meant was _why did you do that?"_

"Lily Marie!" Maggie scolded, shooting her daughter an angry look. Lily knew she'd hear more about this later, but ignored it and continue to stare at her sister in disbelief.

"Yes, congratulations and all that but, Tuney, what about University? What about all of your plans?"

"I have plans for a future with Vernon." And that was all Petunia said on the matter. Lily knew that it was the end of University for her sister. She knew that Petunia wouldn't continue on with school. Not now that there was a wedding to plan and a fiancé to attend to.

She shook her head. "I just- I don't see…"

"Lily." Lily's father cut her off. His voice was gentle, as always, but stern. For a man who liked to go hunting and watch football on the telly, David Evans was not one for telling off his girls. He usually left the scolding up to his more outgoing wife, as it wasn't easy standing ground when his daughters knew they had him wrapped around their fingers. It was because of this the Lily knew it wise to shut her mouth at once. "Why don't you go start the car? We'll pay for the bill and be along in a moment."

Lily nodded and got up at once. With one final glace at Petunia, who pointedly looked away, she grabbed the car keys from her father's hand and walked outside. It was hot, but the clouds were dark and it looked like it might rain soon. She reached around the front to turn on the car as instructed and slumped in the back seat, arms crossed.

It was not that she wasn't _happy _for Petunia. On the contrary, she was quite pleased that her sister had found a companion. It just was the particular companion that Lily was worried about. Vernon was everything that they had never wanted and Petunia, despite her shortcomings, deserved something better. Lily didn't want her to throw away everything she had worked for – getting into University had been a difficult task – for someone like him.

She stared out the window in silence and could see her family walk from the café, her mum and dad bidding their goodbyes to the eldest daughter. When Maggie turned to look at the car, however, her expression was far from excited.

Instead, Lily watched her mother's eyes turn angry just as the first drop of rain hit the window.

* * *

Remus didn't even realize he'd been hoping for anything until he received his letter. He knew what was inside… or, more importantly, what _wasn't _inside. The envelope didn't weigh any heavier than the normal Hogwarts letters and it wasn't larger like the one he remembered his prefect badge coming in. He sighed and turned it over, his hands shaking as he broke open the familiar school crest.

He let out a breath. Of course he hadn't received Head Boy. It made sense, really. He had been a rubbish prefect. People were right when they said that only reason Dumbledore had given him the badge in the first place was to keep his mates in line and he had failed miserably at that. Under his watch, James and Sirius pulled more pranks and got caught less. Under his watch, Sirius had told Snape where Moony went every month. Under his watch, Remus had almost _killed _a boy and had severely injured James.

No, he mustn't let his mind travel down that path. Not again, not today. Not when in, just a short few hours, he knew the _real _demons would appear. Moony never let them sleep.

The letter wasn't anything special. A list of books, a bit about his prefect meetings… not a mention of who the Head Boy and Girl would be, though Remus didn't need a hint to tell him who received the honor. It would be Lily, of course. It had always been Lily. For years, Dumbledore had striven for house unity and, with the rising threat of Wizarding War, it would be more important than ever for him to show that blood didn't matter.

_Of course, when your blood doesn't hold any remnants of lycanthropy, _Remus thought miserably, before scolding himself. He couldn't let the wolf take hold right now. He would not allow himself think ill of Dumbledore, who had done nothing but show kindness to Remus. More kindness and acceptance than even Remus' own absent father could muster.

The Head Boy was easy to guess, as well. If it wasn't him, it would be Snape. Everyone knew it was between the two of them. And, in reality, Snape deserved it more than Remus did. He hadn't told anyone of Remus' secret… at least, not yet. Remus could be sure of that, if not just by the letter in his hand. Parents would've had an outrage if they knew that a werewolf walked the same halls as their children and Remus was sure he wouldn't be receiving a letter if Snape had let on to what he _really _saw in the Shrieking Shack.

His trained ears heard his mother's footsteps even before she had shut the front door, but he didn't do anything to hide the letter. It was only a matter of time before she found out, anyway. Her hair was damp despite the fact that she was holding an umbrella and her cheeks were red, perhaps from walking quickly down the lane where the apparition point was located.

"It's raining hippogriffs and kneazles out there!" she exclaimed as she shook from her jacket. His mother had always loved her clichés.

"I can see that," he said, somewhat dryly. If his less-than-amicable attitude bothered her, Evelyn did not let on. By now, she was probably used to her son's surliness before and after a full moon.

Remus lifted up his letter.

"Oh, you got it!" She said, somewhat surprised. "Oh, son of a banshee, I was hoping to be here when you opened it!"

Remus shrugged and placed it on the end-table next to the couch. He knew what her eagerness was for. "I didn't get it, Mum."

Evelyn looked crestfallen and Remus had to look away. "Oh, honey, I'm sor-"

"Doesn't matter." His voice was crisp as he stood up, if only to steer clear of his mother's advances. "I wasn't expecting it," he said, though that wasn't exactly true. "Who in their right mind would put a werewolf in charge?"

The word hung between them. It wasn't as if it had never been spoken, but there was usually a warning. When it came upon them so suddenly, both mother and son flinched, locked in their own set of demons.

Evelyn recovered first. "Remus, I'm sure that's not w-"

"Doesn't matter," he said again. He took a breath and forced his tone gentler. "I'm- I'm going to go… have a nap, Mum. You know, to rest up, before..." He did not go on.

She smiled at him, but it did not reach her eyes. "Yes, yes, that's a good idea. I'll make some tea and bring it up to you, if you're still awake."

Remus nodded. He wanted to apologize to her, but he knew she'd never have it. He'd tried in the past, but the best quality about Evelyn Lupin had always been her ability to take things in stride. Even when Remus' father left, she hadn't cried for more than an hour before getting up to cook her son's breakfast. He wanted to say it. He had ruined her life – all of theirs – and he knew it. But he couldn't open his mouth. So, he just turned around and walked away.

He didn't see the silent tears that threatened to slide down his mother's face, sadness and anger at a world who took a happy life away from her only child.

* * *

Remus couldn't sleep. He knew he wouldn't be able to, but he always pretended before a full moon at home. It kept his mum's worries at ease and, in all honesty, he liked to be alone before a transformation. The memories always came, slowly and deliberately, as if trying to get into his psyche before he turned. Sometimes, they were real; sometimes, they were simply nightmares. But they always came; that much was certain.

It was always the worst at home. James, Peter, and Sirius – though it hurt to think of the latter – weren't able to come and ease the pain that Moony created. The shed he was locked in was too small and Remus wouldn't risk his friends' safety even more than he already had. Besides, it would be pretty difficult to hide three animal allies from his mother.

He got out of bed and went to the lavatory, careful to walk slowly. He didn't want his mum hearing the floor boards and coming to check on him. His head was throbbing and, though this was nothing new, Remus couldn't help but squint from even the dim lighting.

Heading over to the sink, Remus turned on the tap, hands shaking. He leaned down and splashed some water on his face, bringing his hands up to rub over his eyes. He needed to wake up and get a hold of himself. Not think of his friends. Not think of Sirius or the last full moon at school. He couldn't think of Snape… or pranks… or the Marauders.

The images of that night were already threatening him and he didn't want to open his mind to the wolf even more than he had to. He needed to concentrate.

Removing his hands from his face, he looked at himself in the mirror. For a split second, he saw the slanted, yellow eyes of Moony. The sharp, pointed teeth that could sink their way into human flesh and ruin lives. He saw the long, pointed nails that tore into James' skin painfully. The brown snout that could smell Severus Snape's blood and the meal Moony wanted the Slytherin to become.

It was only a moment before he saw his own reflection. The brown, shaggy hair flecked with grey on top his head. The hint of light scars on his face. And his own grey eyes, sprinkled with gold staring back. The sudden transformation in the mirror didn't startle him. He saw it every day. Saw the wolf staring back at him before he remembered who he was. It would always be there; a reminder that he was nothing more. Not really.

No one could ever understand.

* * *

"Ok, so murder, shag, Azkaban," Sirius stated, lazily taking a drink from the Odgen's bottle, his feet propped up on the Potter's lawn table. He, Peter, and James were all sitting outside, trying to ignore the glaring full moon above them. It wasn't time yet, but it would be soon.

"What are you on about?" James said. The boys had been quiet for the past few minutes and Sirius' voice was loud amongst the silence he had just broken.

"The game," Sirius explained. "Murder, shag, Azkaban."

"Isn't that called 'murder, shag, _marry_?'" Peter pointed out.

"Getting married; A stay at Azkaban? It's all the same, isn't it?" Sirius shrugged.

The two other boys grinned. "Alright, we can play, but I'm not calling it that."

Sirius sighed and shook his head at James dramatically. "And you call yourself my best mate. Ok, then, Prongs… Marlene McKinnon, Bertha Jorkins, and Madam Hooch."

"Easy," James replied taking a swig from his bottle. "Marry McKinnon, shag Madam Hooch, and kill Jorkins."

"Easy! That's the worst possible combination! You're going to _shag _Madam Hooch." Sirius' hands went up, as if this revelation was the worst of sorts. "She's about 70 years old! At least Jorkins' tits don't sag. Sure, she's an annoying bint, but there are loads of ways to shut her up when fucking."

"Bertha Jorkins – the same bird who ruined _at least _three of my dates during 5th year and spread those rumors about Pete? Yeah, I'm fine with killing her." Before Sirius could give his input once again, James turned to Peter and asked loudly. "Professor Binns, Snivellus, and Amos Diggory?"

Sirius snorted in laughter while Peter looked indignant. "Why are they all blokes?"

An easy grin slid into place. "You don't have to hide your true feelings from us, Pete. We're your mates. _We know." _

As Sirius' laughter grew, Peter rolled his eyes and mumbled something along the lines of 'sodding git.' "I'm not a poofer, ok?"

"There's nothing wrong with being a poof, Wormtail," Sirius piped up. "James does a lovely job at it. Why else do you think he went on about Evans for so long?"

"Because he fancied her?" Peter guessed and James began to protest. The other two ignored him.

"Denial."

Peter grinned and thought about his answer. "Well, we should at least take Binns out of the running. I can't kill him if he's already dead."

James waved it away with his hand. "Semantics." A beat. "'Sides, why worry when Snivellus is in the running?"

"Good point."

* * *

It had stopped raining and Lily could see the full moon shining through her bedroom window as she sat atop her bed, rubbing the smooth surface of her Head Girl badge. James Potter. _James Potter _was going to be the Head Boy. It was something she hadn't been expecting, but it wasn't a completely inane idea.

After all, he had saved Severus from whatever was down by the Whomping Willow last year. He had grown up since they were fifteen and, though he was still a bit immature for her taste, he was a natural-born leader. Not even Severus could deny that. James had the uncanny ability to rally the school behind him in an endeavor, something that would be beyond beneficial as a Head Boy.

Really, the Marauders pranks weren't all horrible. Lily actually thought the time they charmed all the suits of armor to compliment the pretty girls as they walked by quite funny. That is, until she realized that the armor also insulted everyone's flaws. Macy Harper couldn't stop crying for a week after one suit told her that her nose was so abnormally large that it was no wonder Kyle Andersen didn't want to kiss her the year before under the mistletoe. The beginnings of their pranks were always a laugh, but Lily knew better than to play into them… someone would always wind up hurt.

And most of the time, it happened to be Severus Snape.

However, she wasn't daft. She knew her ex-best mate wasn't a saint. He had taunted the Marauders along and never had any trouble rubbing his and Lily's friendship in James' face. And keeping it away from his own friends as best as possible.

But she knew Snape's circumstances. And, though they were no longer friends, she couldn't help but feel bad for him. The anger from O.W.L.S. had faded into something worse… sadness. She knew that he was locked up in his house on Spinner's End right now, enduring punishment and torture from that horrid father of his. She knew that Hogwarts had been his escape, only to fall into the Marauder's traps again and again.

However, no one had forced Severus' relationship with Mulciber and the other Slytherins. No one had told him had to follow a different path than Lily's. No one made him open his mouth and call his best friend a disgusting name. A name that, no matter how much she tried, she just couldn't come back from.

Suddenly, she couldn't sit there any longer. Pocketing her Head Girl badge, she walked down the stairs and out the door. She didn't know where she was headed, but she kept walking down the lane. Her feet stopped and, though she knew where she was, she looked around anyway. The park was familiar, though it had been run down from years of decay and children growing too old to play. One side of the park held her street, Bolster Square, which was lit up with traffic lights and working cars. On the other side was Sev's street, Spinner's End, where the cars were much more run down and it seemed darker somehow.

The park had been their palace growing up. It was the middle ground… the place where no one could touch them. Lily had learned of magic and Severus had taught her of the whole world outside the one she knew. She would never be able to forget that but, sitting down on the swing now, it felt bittersweet.

Things would never be the same.

"What are you doing here?" The voice made her jump, but not because it surprised her. It was cold; detached. "Reminiscing?"

Severus was sneering, which hurt. "I heard they might be tearing this down soon," she replied, keeping her voice even. "I wanted to make sure I got in one last visit in before they did."

"In the middle of the night?"

She straightened up. "Well, I could ask you the same thing, couldn't I?"

"This is _my _street."

"It divides our streets. It's neither yours nor mine."

Severus just shrugged, but he didn't answer her question. The silence growing between them was awkward and Lily felt pained. It had never been this hard before.

"I got Head Girl," she said loudly and abruptly. Her sudden confession seemed to surprise both her and Snape. She lowered her voice. "I just thought you might be curious, is all."

"Congratulations." Though his voice was terse. "And the Head Boy?"

Lily hesitated and Severus noticed. "Who is the Head Boy, Lily?" he repeated.

"It's- It's James Potter." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was clear whose name she had said in the silent park. Severus' body tensed.

"Dumbledore's always been mad. I've told you that before. Making James Potter Head Boy. What does he think that'll accomplish?"

Lily stood up, suddenly defensive. "I trust Dumbledore's decisions."

Severus eyes darkened and he took a step towards Lily. "But James Potter, Lily? He'll… he'll ruin _everything! _He'll make-"

Lily's patience was waning. "That isn't the way I'd expect for you to talk of the boy who _saved your life_!"

"Saved _my _life! He was just saving his own arse! Covering his tracks so he didn't get expelled!"

"And why would he get expelled exactly?" Lily countered dangerously.

Severus lowered his voice to a mutter, though he didn't attempt to hide his anger. "You wouldn't understand." But he looked up at the sky where the full moon was shining and it did not go unnoticed by Lily.

"Well, then tell me so I can! Tell me what you saw down there and _why, _in Merlin's name, you were even looking!"

Severus stayed silent and, after a few moments, he turned towards his house. "You'll have to work with him, you know."

The change back to James Potter should've surprised here, but she had been here before with Severus. More times than she'd like to admit. She made sure her tone was steady before replying. "I think I'll manage."

Severus was gone and, when he reached his bedroom, he walked to the window. There, he saw a clear shot of a girl, sitting on a swing, her red hair falling into her face, hiding a bitter look. He had gone to apologize, one more time.

But things never really turn out how they're imagined, do they?

* * *

Remus' head hurt.

He knew it was going to happen very, very shortly. The moon could not be seen through the locked shed, but that didn't matter. The wolf would know. Moony would sense it. And that means Remus could tell that the transformation would come soon.

Only a few more minutes now.

Visions threatened to come to the surface of his mind. Nightmares – his reality – the things he didn't want to think of… not now… not ever. Sirius' face, a dark look in his eyes. James, with blood trailing down his back. Peter, a sadness across his face that Remus had never seen before. Snape, a disgusted sneer at the veracity that was Remus' life. Lily, concern in her voice as she questioned Remus about his absence from the Marauders.

_"Snivellus! Snape!" _James' voice could be heard, even as Remus lost himself to the wolf. _"Stop! Don't go in there!"_

He commanded himself to breathe. Calm down and think of something pleasant, something good. Like the thought of a new Quidditch season coming up and the crisp, excited air that it brought along with it. Or the smell of a new book as he took a seat in his favorite chair by the fire.

But Moony wanted his friends. And there was no Padfoot, Prongs, or Wormtail with him tonight. Remus felt the shift of the moon; the change in his body.

It was time.

The fur began to grow into Remus' body and he could feel his bones breaking. He cried out in agony and fell to his knees, breaking one open on the hard surface. _"What happened last night?" _He heard his own voice in the distance.

_"Sirius- Sirius told Snape."_

His back hunched. His spine shifted.

_"Where have you been? They've been saying James saved Snape from something at the Whomping Willow."_

His teeth pointed and Remus bit his lip, cutting through the skin. He could taste blood. Moony wanted more.

_"I don't want to talk about it, Lily."_

His ears stood on end and he could hear everything. The rain had stopped. A leaf dropped from the tree next to his house.

_"But we're the Marauders. You, me, James, and Sirius."_

His mother was crying somewhere… far-off.

_"Not anymore."_

He felt his nails grow and Moony dug them into the concrete.

_"How- how could you? I thought we were friends!"_

_"I'm sorry, Moony-" _Sirius' voice felt far away, but it was still somehow clear, echoing through Remus' mind.

_"Don't call me that. Don't _ever _call me that again."_

_"I just thought-"_

But Remus was on a roll and there was no stopping the anger in his eyes. _"No you don't _think _about anything. Anything that's not your bloody self. I'm so _sick _and _tired _of your excuses, Sirius! _

He was getting angry. Remus could tell by the tension in his body and the way he clenched his jaw. The wolf inside of him could always see things like that. _"Like we don't hear about you all the time! The self-pitying bit really makes you seem high and mighty, Remus." _His voice was sarcastic. _"I believe it was _us _who helped _you _for the last year!"_

_"I didn't ask you to do that!"_

_"You didn't have to!" _He stepped closer dangerously and, for a second, Remus thought Sirius might hit him. _"We knew you wanted us to! It was in that eager stare and the way you helped us make that bloody map! You needed us! You wanted us to be there with you-"_

But it wasn't Sirius hand that struck out. Before either of the boys could think, Remus had brought his fast back to punch Sirius in the face. Sirius wheeled back and hit the wall behind him, clutching at his jaw. He looked up at Remus, disbelief etched into his features. Remus wasn't the type for violence and he had never hit anyone before.

They stood there, breathing heavily, the anger fading. Sadness remained.

Remus' voice was quiet. _"Please." _He sounded broken. _"Just stay away from me."_

Moony's eyes shown yellow.

The wolf howled.

* * *

**A/N: **Once again, I really apologize for no Lily/James. I promise there will be some in the next chapter. Also, I'm changing the warning to 'M' now, because I know it'll come in handy later on down the road!

Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated!


	4. Chapter 3: Fun and Games

**A/N:** My tumblr is in case anyone wants to follow me!

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**A/N: **Just an FYI: This isn't a story where Lily's friends are all the same as Remus and Sirius and fall in love with them. Just saying.

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This chapter is dedicated to **twilightstargazer, **who wrote a very nice review about the back stories in my fanfiction! Thank you, twilightstargazer!

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**Chapter Three: **Fun and Games

"Oi!" Sirius' voice rang out the moment James turned off the shower. "Prongs!"

"Hold your cleansweeps, Padfoot!" James threw on his clothes quickly, his plain-colored t-shirt sticking to his still damp skin. When he appeared from the loo, he was holding a towel and drying his hair, making it stick up in all directions even more. He raised his eyebrows at his best friend expectedly.

"What took you so long? Having a wank?" Sirius grinned. "Who was it this time? Don't tell me you're still fantasizing about Evans…"

"It wasn't Evans," James said immediately, instantly realizing his mistake as Sirius barked out in laughter. "And I wasn't having a wank. Now what is so important that you couldn't wait until I was at least clothed?"

Sirius held up James' Head Boy badge. "What's this?"

"How did you find that?"

"Oh, you know, I went to Knockturn Alley, where I came across three goblins who I had to torture to get them to tell me such vital information," Sirius deadpanned sarcastically. Then, "it was on your desk."

"Oh," was James' reply.

"Should I start the taunting now or later?"

James shrugged. "Might as well get it out of your system."

"I'll never get it out of my system, oh high and mighty one. I'm surprised you're still standing. I expected your head to be so far up Dumbledore's arse by now that I would only be able to see your shoulders." Sirius grinned, but he wasn't finished. "Now, I see that you weren't busy having a wank, just helping poor old ladies across the street. If it weren't for your hideous specks, I'd mistake you for Moony."

Sirius' insults became less coherent, as his laughter grew. During the exchange, James threw his towel in the dirty clothes hamper, where it promptly disappeared, headed to the washroom. He sat down at his bed, pretending to scowl, though the corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

"Done?" He asked.

"Not yet. Do you find it tough, being so important in the art of buzz-kill, or does it come naturally? Oh, bollocks, why did I even ask that question? It obviously comes naturally. You have 'git' written all over you!"

When the laughter died down, Sirius continued. "In all seriousness…" The two paused to have a moment of silence for the pun. Sirius threw the badge at James' chest, who caught it easily. "…how in the hell did you manage this?"

James groaned. "I don't know!" He did, but he wasn't about to bring that up right now. "Dumbledore's out of his bloody mind, I reckon."

"Well, whatever the reason, this is brilliant!"

"It is? Sounds like a nightmare to me."

"Think about it, Prongs. All we can get away with now."

"We got away with it before."

"Sure, but we haven't done everything we want to yet."

James grinned. "You really know how to turn my honors into things you can use to your benefit, don't you?"

Sirius shrugged. "It's a gift."

* * *

"I don't understand this magazine," Marlene said. She was lying on the floor of Lily's room, her feet propped up against the bed with the latest copy of _Lucky Witch _open in her hands. "Listen to this: '10 Ways to Make Your Wizard Feel Magical,' 'Sparks Fly With These New Styles,' 'Celestina Warbeck on Love Potions, Heartbreak, and Her New Record.' All it talks about are celebrities, gossip, and clothes! How is any of this going to be useful to us?"

"It talks about sex, too," Emmeline pointed out from her place at the desk, where she was painted her nails a deep red color. "That could be useful."

"Emmeline Foster!" Marlene exclaimed, shocked. "I didn't know you had it in you!"

Emmeline's face went red. "I mean… it will be useful… you know… _someday." _

Her embarrassed stammering made Marlene laugh, as she had much more experience than her shy, curly-haired friend. But, before she could respond, Lily walked through the bedroom door, a bottle of red wine in her hand.

She held it up triumphantly, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "And they said it couldn't be done! I think my parents forgot that their daughter in a witch and can easily break open the lock on the liquor cabinet.

"You're my hero!" Marlene said, sitting up and throwing the magazine aside. She held out her hand for the bottle, uncorked it, and took the first swig.

"What are we talking about?" Lily asked, picking up the abandoned magazine and flipping through it. She took a seat against the backboard of her bed.

"Oh, Emme was just telling me about her deep desires to make her wizard feel magical. She's a bit of a hidden tart, really."

"I am not! And I wasn't saying that!" And the two girls began to bicker good-naturedly.

"I can't leave you two alone for five minutes, can I?" Lily interrupted, shaking her hand and laughing. She stopped on one of the back pages in the magazine and her look turned to one of slight disgust.

"What is it?" Emmeline asked.

"It's a quiz." She threw the copy to her friend. "Look at number six."

Emmeline's eyes widened. "Oh my Merlin! People actually _do _that?"

"Prudes," Marlene interjected, getting up from her spot to look over Emme's shoulder. "Sure they do! I know three girls in our year alone who have done that at least twice." The other two stared at her. Marlene looked indignant. "Not me! Jane Brocklethurst, Bryony Harris, and I'm pretty sure Holly Craig."

"_Holly Craig? _Really? She seems so sweet…"

"How can they even get their leg up that high?"

Marlene grabbed the magazine and looked through the list. "Well, they aren't all so bad. I say we do it."

"What?" Emmeline did everything she could not to spew the wine she was drinking everywhere.

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Not the _position, _you twit. The quiz. And we'll make it interesting. If you've done what it asks, you take a drink." She settled back on the floor.

"But we already know this stuff about each other."

"Everyone has secrets, Lil," Marlene said, her voice implying more than Lily would have liked. "Ok, number one: have you ever been kissed?" The bottle was passed around so they could all drink from it. "Number two: have you ever made love? That's how they put it… 'made love.'"

Marlene laughed bitterly and took a drink, the only of the three girls who was no longer a virgin. "I think it's sweet," Lily said. "Better than the idea of 'shagging.'"

"That's because you've never shagged anyone, dear. I wouldn't get your hopes up. Ha! This one is great! Have you ever had someone… er… catch you in a _compromising _position?"

Both Lily and Marlene looked at the third girl. "That's just because you're nosy, Marlene!"

"Here's a tip, love: close the curtains."

"It was the boys' dormitory!"

"We were looking for you! It's your fault you went missing."

It went on like that for awhile longer, each girl taking swigs from the bottle as they continued the quiz – they skipped question six – until they reached number fifteen.

"Every witch would have to drink at this one," Marlene said, her voice slightly slurred from the alcohol. "Well, except for Lily. She only likes _respectable _boys. The ones Mummy and Daddy would like. Number fifteen: have you ever been attracted to someone you shouldn't be?"

Emmeline grinned. "You should take ten of those, Mar."

"Har, har," Marlene responded sarcastically and took a swig before passing it to Emme.

Lily's face paled slightly. "Hand it over."

"What?"

"I said, 'hand it over,'" she repeated calmly.

She took a drink without looking at her friends' disbelieving stares. "Alright, so… number sixteen?" She asked after a few moments of stunned silence.

Of course, she didn't tell them that she had been thinking of a stupid, arrogant smirk and hazel eyes hidden behind square glasses and messy black hair.

The question never said she had to _like _the person.

* * *

Sirius found James sitting outside again; only the moon was wavering and did not seem as distracting as before. His friend's glasses created a glare against the pavement, mirroring the stars in the sky, which were plenty in Godric's Hollow. Sirius loved it here. At Grimmauld Place, the stars were covered by smog, which Sirius was half-convinced was really just evil in disguise. He could never see them, not like this, even if he managed to escape the house to the outside.

He knew was lucky. Lucky that he had left when he did. Lucky that his friend had forgiven him enough to take him in. Lucky to have discovered his brother's secret before it was too late. But Sirius couldn't help but have a feeling of melancholy pass over him as he looked at James.

His friend, despite the latest tragedy, had a wonderful life. He could sit outside and enjoy the summer air whenever he damn pleased. His mother made his breakfast in the morning… not some house elf… and they sat together at the kitchen table. James was _loved; _something even the greatest of friends could not make Sirius understand.

Not completely.

Taking a quick, deep breath, he pushed the thoughts back. They were no good. They were what caused him to see the bottom of bottle after bottle on his bad days. They were what made his anger lash out in hurtful words at the nearest broad who let him fuck them. They were what made days like this unbearable… if he let them.

Sirius took a seat in the chair next to James' without a word. It was quiet out, but it was a comfortable silence. There was an open _Daily Prophet _on the table in front of them and he picked it up, scanning the page. As usual, a headline about Voldemort and his Death Eaters spread across the top in big, bold letters. This time, they had attacked an Auror in his home, killing him, his wife, and their young child.

Before he could let himself feel completely angry, he gave out a low whistle and threw the paper on the table. "Another one? You think the Death Eaters would be revolting by now, asking for more pay." He meant it as a joke – as he was very aware Voldemort's army was voluntary – but, the flash of hurt across James' face, he felt guilty at once.

It was quick, but Sirius knew his best mate.

"Damnit, Prongs, I'm sorry. I…"

But James cut him off. "It's fine, mate." He gestured to the paper. "Did you read the whole thing? The kid was six."

"Fuck," was Sirius low reply.

The silence overtook them again, but it now held something heavy.

After a few moments, Sirius sighed. It seemed that, even though it was waning, the moon could be distracting. He wished he had a bottle of firewhiskey.

"You think he'll ever forgive me?"

James blinked, genuinely surprised by this statement. "It's Moony, Sirius. He'll get over it. I did."

Sirius didn't reply. To him, James only got over it because he had to. It really wasn't too much of a choice. Sirius had shown up on his doorstep, bloody and bruised, hands trembling from the Cruciatus, with literally no warning. It wouldn't have been like James to turn him away then.

"He will," James repeated, this time more firmly. "Just give him time."

"It was only supposed to be a laugh." Though there was much more to the story that James didn't know. And much more than Sirius didn't want to tell.

"Not everything is all fun and games."

"I know." And after a moment, "I'll just give him time." Sirius was eager to get out of the conversation. He wasn't sure why he had even brought it up in the first place. Changing the topic was easy. James always liked to discuss Quidditch. "So, what are you going to do about the team?"

Talking about tryouts wasn't completely relaxed, as the only reason tryouts were to be held at all was because of Sirius. After the stunt with Snape the year before, he had gotten detention every Saturday for the first three months of school, which meant he would miss two matches and one Hogsmeade trip.

James shrugged, like he hadn't been thinking about this all summer. "I'll put Owens at beater and bring in a new chaser. That's where he should be, anyway."

"Not bad." For such a lean wizard, Sirius would not typically be put at the position of beater, but he was proved that size didn't always matter. It must have been the pent-up aggression, but he was one of the best hitters at the school and known for his accuracy, as he liked to aim at the other teams' heads.

"It'll still be a nightmare."

He wanted to remind his mate that there were much, much worse things. But, as usual, he said nothing.

* * *

James lost Sirius to the fit clerk at the bookstore before they had even finished half of their Hogwarts shopping. As he trekked on alone, he quickly got bored. It was lucky, then, to find Remus amongst the mix of people in Diagon Alley.

"Moony!" he called to his friend, who was busy observing cauldrons in the window of the apothecary.

Remus turned at his nickname and grinned when he saw who it is. "Hey, mate. Your mum didn't do your shopping this year?" he taunted.

"Nope," James said, pretending to be proud. "Didn't you hear? I'm a big kid now!"

"Very nice." Remus looked at the tag on one of the cauldrons and grimaced slightly before tearing his hand away. He gestured to the set in front of him. "My old one's shot. And we'll need a copper one this year."

"You can have my old one. My mum bought me a new one a few weeks ago, even though I didn't need a new one."

Remus perked up. "You sure? It… it's not _tainted, _is it?"

James laughed. "How the hell would I _taint _it, mate?"

"With you, I never know." Remus shrugged, though his slight blush gave away his gratitude. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Thank my mum." James reminded himself to stop back here before he left, when Remus was out of sight, to buy a new cauldron. His mum hadn't been to Diagon Alley in at least two months.

His expression turned slightly serious. "So… did you get my letter?" He had written Remus about a week ago, telling him of the badge, but he had yet to receive a response.

Remus looked down. "Yeah, I did. I'm sorry I haven't written back." In fact, Remus had started at least three letters to congratulate his friend, but they had all seemed so phony. He wasn't mad when he had heard and, after the initial shock had worn off, it made a lot of sense. James had saved Remus' life – Hogwarts was the closest thing to normal Remus had ever known – and for that, he was proud of his mate.

It was hard to convey that in words.

"It's barmy, isn't it?"

Remus shrugged. "Not really. Congratulations, mate. You deserve it."

James ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure about that… I lit Gertrude Famer's pants on fire last year."

Remus grinned. "She had it coming."

"She bloody well did! Stupid little know-it-all twat."

"Now is that any way for the Head Boy to be talking?" Remus faux-scolded.

"I told you it was barmy."

Remus focus shifted to over James' shoulder. "Maybe not..." His voice trailed off. "There's your Head Girl."

James almost fell with how quickly he whipped around, but instantly regretted it when he heard Remus chuckling behind him. He had spent the better part of sixth year avoiding Lily Evans – which was much easier than expected when one owned a map that told the placement of all the students in the school – and trying to convince his best mates that he was over her.

But, now she was here and he wasn't prepared. Her red hair reflected the sunlight excellently, casting a sort of glow around her face. Or maybe that was just James' eyes. She was wearing a light green blouse that brought out the color in her eyes and her curls lay around her shoulders. The ice cream in her bowl – chocolate mint, which was her favorite, though he could kick himself for knowing that – had melted from the heat. She was holding a quill and looking over a piece of parchment where she scratched something out every once in a while.

His efforts hadn't done a damn thing.

Remus clasped James on the shoulder. "I'll see you on the ride to Hogwarts. Prefect meeting."

"Oh, right, I run those now, don't I?" James said, though he barely looked at Remus as he left.

Lily still hadn't looked up from whatever it was she was writing, though she had stuck the end of the quill's feather in her mouth, thinking. Why did she have to be so fucking adorable? Before he could stop himself, James was striding over to her. "Evans," he greeted.

Whether Lily was surprised at his presence or not, James couldn't tell. She didn't even look up from her parchment as she replied coolly, "Potter."

James didn't wait, instead pulling out the chair across from hers and taking a seat. Lily finally looked up, but her eyes weren't angry like he had expected. Instead they were almost sad. She hesitated as if deciding whether or not to say something, but finally opened her mouth to speak.

"Listen, James, I heard about what happened to your dad. And I wanted to say…"

He didn't even notice the use of his first name as his heart sank. He hoped she wouldn't say it. He had had enough people tell him that they were sorry for his loss to last him a lifetime.

"…that I'm here, if you need me."

James blinked, taken aback. Now that was surprising. "You are?"

Lily sat straighter and the familiar edge in her eyes was back. James let go of the breath he didn't even know he was holding. He could handle this look. This look he knew. "Yes, I am. You are Head Boy and I'm Head Girl and that is the sort of thing that we're… supposed to do for one another." Her voice softened. "Besides, no one deserves what happened to your family. And I hate the Death Eaters probably as much as you do."

Despite the serious topic at hand, James grinned. "Look, something in common."

"I never thought I'd see the day."

"What d'ya think then?"

Lily looked confused. "About what?"

"Me. Head Boy."

"Oh." She shrugged. "There are worse choices."

"_Worse choices?"_

"Yes, what did you expect?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe a something along the lines of fury or a sarcastic comment, at least."

She shrugged again, as if James' idea of her reaction did not matter. "Well, that's what I think. Dumbledore chose you and I trust Dumbledore." She paused. "It actually… kind of makes sense."

James grinned mischievously. Lily groaned inwardly. That kind of James Potter grin never implied something good. "Was that a compliment?"

"No, just an observation. If you try, I reckon you'll make an alright Head Boy."

"I'm having you do all the work."

"That's fine. I'll just create dirty nicknames for all the prefects and say that you wrote out the patrol schedule. Honestly, Potter, I'm surprised you'd make it so easy for me."

James laughed and Lily's lips twitched involuntarily before she finally gave him and smiled. James' laugh had always been infectious, whether Lily liked it or not. He pointed at the parchment. "What're you doing there?"

"Oh, it's from Madam Pomfrey. It's a list of this I need to bring this year."

James nodded and Lily waited for him to ask more about it. When he didn't, she continued on anyway, her voice loud and bursting with excitement. "She's accepted me as her assistant this year!"

James grinned, his eyes showing some sort of proud emotion that Lily was sure he wished to hide. "So, you get to work in the Hospital Wing with sick, whining kids who won't stop coughing on you? Sounds _great."_

"If I remember correctly, you were in there at least twice last year with broken limps and you cried like a baby."

James huffed. "I did not _cry! _Have _you _ever broken your arm in two places? It makes your bloody eyes water!"

"That's not what Marlene told me."

"Marlene's a nutter. And how would she even know? She wasn't there!"

"Sam was."

James rolled his eyes. "I might have to have a talking with Sam…"

"Marlene will kick your arse if you even go near him. You know how she is, when it comes to Sam." Lily looked at James, as if daring him to counter. He just crossed his arms and Lily smirked, knowing she had won.

"Your ice cream has melted." He pointed to the bowl on the table.

Lily's eyes widen and she groaned in despair, a little louder than should've happened over ice cream. James fought a smile. "And I was saving all the chocolate chips for the end!"

James pushed back his chair. "I'll buy you another."

She looked up, her eyes wide for a different reason now. "You don't have to do…"

"Peace offering?" James interrupted.

Lily bit her lip and James shifted uncomfortably at the sight. "I guess… I mean, we should be friendly, now that we'll be seeing a lot of each other, right?"

"Right." And he turned to go into the shop.

"You don't even know what I want!"

_Shit._

"Chocolate mint, please. It's my favorite."

"It's disgusting."

"You're disgusting."

"Real original."

Lily pulled a scowl. "Just go get it." And, after he had already turned away, she added as an afterthought, "You're still a prat!"

"And you're still a pris!" He called from over his shoulder, though he was smiling.

* * *

Severus' eyes narrowed as he watched the scene from Slug and Jiggers Apothecary. He had noticed Lily's red hair long ago, but hadn't attempted to approach her. Instead, he pretended to scan ingredients for potions as he watched her smile at friends that passed back and scratched at her parchment.

Her ice cream had melted ages ago.

The messy, black-haired boy that had approached had been more surprising than it would've been during fifth year. For the most part, Potter had left Lily alone the year before. Of course, that didn't mean he left _Severus _alone.

It had been even more of a shock that Lily hadn't even been angry, instead letting the git sit with her. She was _laughing. _When Potter went into the new ice cream parlour, Florean Fortescue's, and had come back with two bowls – one chocolate mint and one raspberry – Severus felt his hands twitching, eager to pull his wand.

He knew that wouldn't help anything with Lily, though. So, instead he turned and walked from the apothecary briskly, his robes trailing behind him.

He would find Avery and Mulciber.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm sorry this is on the shorter side. I should say that, if you continue to read my story, you'll find that I'm a firm believer in 'quality over quantity.' Every scene I write will somehow be important to the story. I will most likely not add filler scenes, just to make the chapters longer.

Despite that, I hope you enjoyed reading!

**Please, please, **_**please **_**review.** Don't make me beg! Oh, wait… I just did. Haha

Thanks for the support!

Karli


	5. Chapter 4: A Sinister Start

**A/N: **So, I was told by cat among the pixies of a mistake I made in the last couple of chapters, which I went back and checked. I realized that did not save some of the edits I made before posting the chapter, so chapters 1 and 3 are especially not edited. I'm sorry for this and I'll make sure to go back and edit as soon as I can.

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If you were confused about James' dad being dead, but there in chapter 1, that was the biggest mistake. He was not supposed to be there during the scene where Sirius comes to Godric's Hollow and was edited out, but the edit did not stick. So, yes, James' father is not alive.

Speaking of **cat among the pixies, **this week's chapter is dedicated to her! She not only reviewed every single chapter, but has been discussing my story and the Marauders Era in detail with me on tumblr. Thanks so much!

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**Chapter Four: **A Sinister Start

Lily was sitting on the porch swing with her knees pulled up to her chin, a light sweater wrapped around her tightly. The nights had begun to cool down and her cutoff shorts were not enough to keep her legs warm anymore.

It was her last night in Bolster Square and she was feeling nostalgic. This was the end of her final summer in her childhood home. She knew she wouldn't be coming back here after graduation. There was just too much magic she had yet to discover. She figured she could spend a lifetime in the wizarding world and still not see everything. Even after years at Hogwarts, Lily was still amazed by the things magic could do.

The screen to her small, split-level home opened behind her and she gave a soft smile, knowing the only other person still awake at this time would be her sister. Petunia had been staying with them for the summer, her stuff moved back in from University, while she and Vernon looked for places to settle down in. They were currently bidding on a house in Little Whinging, Surrey that Petunia was simply ecstatic about. They hadn't really made up since Lily's outburst about Petunia's engagement and she was hoping she'd get the chance to talk to her sister before she left for Hogwarts.

"Hey, Lils," Petunia said as she sat down next to Lily on the porch swing. Her voice was soft and unsure, so much more like the voice from their youth that Lily remembered. Petunia hadn't sounded like that for so long and the tone made Lily's heart swell.

It was the voice of her best friend.

"Hi, Tuney. What brings you out here?"

"I wanted some fresh air. You?"

"I wanted to remember." Lily's reply was slightly dramatic and, on any other day, it would have made Petunia roll her eyes. Tonight, underneath the stars, however, it just seemed to _fit._

"What are you remembering?"

Lily gave a dreamy sigh. "Everything," she said. "Do you remember when we used to go swimming in that pond by the park?"

Petunia's normally demeaning face gave a smile that lit up her whole presence. "We would stay in there until we pruned up and then trek water through the house. Mum would get so angry with us!"

"And we'd blame it on the cat!"

"She never believed us, no matter how hard we tried!"

They were laughing now. It was like music. "We were quite the pair," Lily said and the two fell instantly silent. "What happened to us, Petunia?"

Petunia's voice was hollow. She spoke very quietly and did not look at Lily. Her words still seemed to echo, the reality too much to bear. "You left."

"I wanted to take you with me! I would've done anything."

"I was so jealous." Lily was surprised to hear her sister admit this… surprised to hear her speak so truthfully.

"But look at you now! You're getting married!"

Petunia scoffed and kicked her feet. The swing squeaked gently as it began to move. "Don't pretend like you care about that."

Lily looked down at her hands, too ashamed of her actions to see her sister's expression. "I'm sorry about that. I was really just surprised. I mean, when did we start growing up?" She paused. "I _am _really happy for you."

Petunia didn't say anything, but there was a hint of the smile from before. The two girls sat in comfortable silence for a while, pulling their sweaters closer to their bodies. The only sound was the cars that passed on the street, heading home after a late shift at the town's factory.

Surprisingly, it was Petunia who broke the silence. "So, what are your plans… for after graduation, I mean? How does it work in… in your world?"

Lily was shocked. Not once since she had started at Hogwarts had Petunia _ever _seemed interested in the wizarding world. It took her a few moments to gain her composure but, even then, Lily could not keep the excitement from her voice.

She began to explain to Petunia about her plans to further her education, to try and become a healer. The conversation lasted for hours – Lily was almost reminded of a time when they would build forts and read fairy tales – before the sisters bid each other good night. They would never have another conversation like this one, Lily knew. But that did not matter.

At least they had August 31st.

* * *

Adelie grinned at her son's disheveled appearance as he walked down the stairs, clad in his pajama bottoms and that old 'Appleby Arrows' t-shirt that he had had for years. James' hair was sticking up in all directions and his glasses were slightly askew.

"Morning, Mum," he yawned, before pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice and sitting at the table with her.

They both ignored the morning _Daily Prophet._

"Morning, love," she replied, sipping her own tea. "I thought I told you to burn that shirt."

James looked down at the worn down shirt, the blue having faded to more of a grey color. "What? I can't burn this! It's a good luck charm!"

"But the Arrows didn't win this year."

He waved a hand in dismissal. "Off year. They'll get back at it this season. Just you wait."

As he took a drink of his pumpkin juice (almost downing it in one gulp), he looked around. "Where's Sirius?"

Adelie shrugged. "Off packing his things. He woke early to eat breakfast because he didn't finish packing up last night like I asked." She shook her head. "You boys really know how to age your ol' mum."

In reality, though, she loved having both Sirius and James around. Even with the ever-looming heaviness of death in the house, they were still able to liven the place up a bit. Cooking for them and cleaning up after them kept her busy and, if she was exhausted enough at the end of the day, she could fall asleep without the reminder that there was no husband in bed next to her.

James grinned arrogantly and Adelie thought that he looked just like Harold. "You'll miss us."

She was sincere when she spoke. "You might be right." James looked up at her tone, which had sobered incredibly. She instantly brought it back to its teasing nature, not wanting to make her son worry on the first day back to school. "Though I can't imagine _why."_

"Very funny, Mum," his sarcastic reply came easily.

When he finished his juice and his breakfast, he stood from the table. "I'd better make sure that git is ready to go or we'll be late."

"Make sure to put your badge in your pocket!" She called after him. "You mustn't lose it before your first meeting as Head Boy."

James laughed. "Honestly, other people are more excited about this than I am!"

"I just think it's a great honor, love. And you deserve it."

He ran a hand through his hand. "Of course I do," his replied cockily, though Adelie knew her son well enough to tell he was faking it.

When he turned to go once more, she spoke again quietly. "He'd be so proud of you."

She heard James take in a sharp breath before continuing on his way.

* * *

Emmeline felt fat in the blouse she had put on and her hair would not stay back in its barrette. The jeans she was wearing were too long on her short legs and she kept stepping on the backs of them, dirtying the bottom.

She had spent an hour longer than normal getting ready for this day. Of course, it was important to look nice for the train ride back to school, but that was not the reason for her careful planning. Today, she would be able to see him again.

It had been two weeks since he had been able to sneak away, which meant two weeks without his warm embrace or his soft lips to comfort her. Their meeting had been so unexpected and so utterly romantic that Emmeline could feel her heart beating wildly at just the thought of it. It had been a real meet-cute. Just like the films Lily had taken her and Marlene to see.

They had been at Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley and, at the same time, had reached for the same book. From there, they got to talking and Emmeline discovered a loving person beneath a cold, stoic exterior. He was a Slytherin and his parents wouldn't approve, so they had to keep it a secret.

Emmeline didn't mind, though. It almost made it more romantic that way. Like Romeo and Juliet from that Muggle play. They were star-crossed lovers.

She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had changed outfits three times now and, though what she was wearing wasn't perfect, it would have to do. She tried to remember what Lily always said about men. 'If a bloke didn't like you for you, he wasn't worth it.' Emmeline hoped he liked her for her… because he was _totally _worth it.

She heard her mother calling for her to leave and she bit her lip nervously, taking one last glance at her reflection in the mirror. Yes, this would have to do.

* * *

Remus and James found each other in the corridor as they walked to the compartment at the head of the train. James had changed from his old t-shirt and pajama bottoms to something much more expensive-looking and more suitable for public eyes. Remus' Muggle clothing, however, were faded at the knees and had patches on the elbows of the jacket. Years ago, they might've of looked like an odd pair. Now, no one even stole them a second glance in confusion… they were only watched now because they were, well, _them. _And the students at Hogwarts have come to expect that the Marauders always had something up their sleeve.

"I've never been this far up the train before. Isn't this where all the prigs hang out?" James asked.

"Yes, Prongs," Remus replied sarcastically. "They actually have a club, you know. It's called the TRP, or Train Riding Prigs, and they all hole up in the front."

Either James missed his sarcasm or chose to ignore it. "No wonder I've never been up here, then. Seems like a bloody bore."

James winked at some fourth year Hufflepuff girls as they passed (a few giggled), while Remus chose to politely smile. "Speaking of a bloody bore, how long do these things usually last?"

"You mean prefect meetings? You mean the meetings _you _are supposed to _run?"_

"Yes, those," James said, as if it were obvious.

"It depends on the Head Boy and Girl."

"Wait, so you mean, we decide what to talk about? They don't just, I don't know, give us a sheet with bullet points that I can read off?"

"Not that I know of."

"Bloody fucking hell. I should've passed on the position when I had the chance."

Remus laughed and clasped his friend on the shoulder. "I'm sure Lily has it taken care of, mate. Wouldn't worry yourself over it too much."

"I'm not worrying about anything. I just didn't feel like doing so much work, is all."

"It's called a _job _for a reason."

"Oh, sod off."

They reached the compartment and James could hear Mafalda Hopkirk inside, asking Lily question after question in her high-pitched, irritating voice. Lily was answering them all cordially and professionally, though James could tell she was getting annoyed. After all, he had caused her annoyance enough times himself to recognize the strain in her tone.

"Don't worry," Lily was saying as the two boys entered the compartment, James heading to the front of the room, while Remus to the seats. "I've it all figured out, even with the odd number of 7th years. Remus'll just have to switch off with one of you. I'll explain it all in the meeting… to _everyone."_

Mafalda pursed her lips, but backed down, turning around to take the seat next to her fellow 7th year Ravenclaw prefect whose name James did not know. James did not miss the glare directed at him before she sat down, however. He walked over to Lily, coming in close to mutter quietly at her.

"What's got her knickers in a twist?"

"She's in a dry spell and wants me to put her with Remus so they can shag in the broom cupboards during rounds."

James gave her a skeptical look and she sighed. "It was a joke."

"Not one of your best ones," he supplied.

"I'm stressed," she said and started rummaging through her bag.

"Already? We haven't even begun classes."

She pulled a piece of parchment out and held it up for him to take. He reached for it and examined it. In Lily's neat handwriting were two lists, one describing things that they were to discuss at the prefects' meeting and another of the things that needed to be done for the start of term. On the latter, a few of the times were already crossed off.

"Wow, Evans, getting a head start, are we?"

"Someone has to," she snapped at him.

"I don't know anything about this job. I've never been a bloody prefect!"

Lily suddenly turned on him, her eyes flashing angrily. James was certain she was about to go spare on him when, surprisingly, she sighed guiltily and turned her face to the floor.

"I know. I'm sorry."

James raised his eyebrows. He wasn't used to hearing Lily Evans apologize… he almost wanted her to start yelling at him. It wasn't as if they were never civil to each other… but James knew how to push her buttons and often used that knowledge to make her angry. Shouting, he could make sense of. This apologetic, flustered Lily, he wasn't so used to.

"Hey, that's all right. You'll just explain it to me later, yeah?"

Lily nodded, rummaging through her bag again to pull out her Head Girl badge, which she placed on the breast of her robes. It hung at an odd angle and James had the urge to reach over and fix it. When Lily crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him expectantly, he quickly averted his eyes, realizing where exactly he had been looking.

"Ehrm… right." He ran a hand through his hair and turned to the seats. "Let's get on with it, then," he said to the prefects. "First item on the list is… er…" He brought the parchment closer in order to read the top bullet point, but Lily cut him off.

"…Introductions for the new prefects. I'm Lily Evans and I'll be the Head Girl this year. I was a Gryffindor prefect."

Everyone looked to James next. "I'm James Potter. I… er… I wasn't a prefect last year."

"James will be the Head Boy this year," Lily explained for him. "Now, if everyone could stand up, say their name and house. Lewis, if you could start, please…"

* * *

The mirror located in the train's tiny loo proved to Regulus that he looked impeccable. His black hair, which was kept from his face, was cut short nicely. His skin was pale – though not in a sickly way – and it contrasted perfectly with the sleek dark robes he was changing out of.

Even the air around him breathed 'The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black,' though he didn't feel very noble at the moment. Regulus had seen Sirius in Platform 9 ¾ and his brother had barely even glanced his way.

Since Sirius' departure from Number 12 Grimmauld Place, Regulus had been trying his hardest to avoid thought of the older Black son. He even took the long way to the dinner table so he wouldn't have to pass Sirius' bedroom. The burn mark on the family tree would always be etched into his mind, Regulus knew, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to stop thinking about it.

Now, visions of Sirius exit and, more importantly, _why _he had left swam to the top of Regulus' mind. He could still see the look of disbelief, hurt, and betrayal written across Sirius' face. He could still hear the words Sirius had yelled at him. Feel the ache as he watched the brother who had taught him to curse and had explained how to pick up birds writhe on the ground, screaming in pain.

"_This will be a great opportunity for us, Son," _his father had said. _"It is not every day that the Dark Lord expresses such interest in someone so young. You'll have to wait until you come of age, of course, as the initiation requires magic and we do not want Ministry officials digging around the house, now do we?"_

They were sitting at the dining room table, Regulus on one side and the four adults on the other. The adults were staring at him with such expectancy – and in his father's case, excitement – that Regulus shifted in his chair uncomfortably. Regulus wasn't as enthusiastic at his father's words as Orion Black seemed to be, but he nodded anyway, agreeing with his parents as he usually did. After all, he had to keep up appearances as the good soon. He had chosen that path a long time ago. It was too difficult to slip away from it now.

Now wouldn't be the best time to try the tactics his brother seemed to like, anyway. Not with what Regulus had been hiding all summer.

"_It will happen over the holidays, just after your birthday," _his uncle, Cygnus, said. His voice was quiet and gravelly, as usual, yet it still demanded attention somehow. As if he sensed his nephew's hesitancy, he continued. _"This is a great honor, Regulus. Joining your cousin in the ranks of the Dark Lord is the best step for someone like you."_

"_Yes, Uncle," _Regulus agreed again, sneaking a look at his mother.

Walburga did not look like a woman who was allowing her youngest son to join one of the most dangerous positions in wizarding world history. She did not look frightened or worried at all. In fact, she held a manner of collected cool and looked almost bored of the conversation. Her eyes, however, flashed angrily when her sister-in-law spoke out of turn.

"_Honestly, Child," _Regulus' aunt, Druella, said aghast. _"I, for one, would expect a bit more gratitude after what your uncle and father have done for you!"_

When she answered, Walburga's voice was sharp. _"I think my son knows exactly what to do with his new prestige," _she said. _"I would suggest biting your tongue and perhaps focusing your attention on your own _daughters." She gave a pointed look at the word and her lip curled wickedly. _"The eldest, joining the ranks of men, while the middle runs away with some common Mudblood. It seems as if you have enough on your hands as it is."_

Druella sputtered. _"How _dare _you bring Andromeda into this, when you very well know she has been blasted away! And how about _your _eldest, hm? He is quite the –"_

"_That is enough!" _Orion's voice rang out, holding up a hand to quiet the boisterous woman. _"Druella, you are welcome here any time, but I would ask you to have the decency to treat my wife with respect." _He was giving a pleasant, diplomatic smile, but the present party knew enough about Regulus' father to know not to trust it. _"Now, I believe we are here to discuss Regulus' future." _He looked to his son. _"Regulus, you will accept, of course."_

Regulus was well aware that he was not being asked a question, despite how he father approached the subject. _"Yes, Father. When I become of age, I will follow the Dark Lord's reign."_

"_You've got to be fucking KIDDING ME?"_

Sirius' voice was angry and it traveled clearly throughout the exquisite Black dining hall. It was obvious he was livid, but there were other emotions sweeping across his face as well. Emotions Regulus hadn't seen for quite some time. Not since he was sorted into Slytherin.

He hoped he'd never have to see them again.

"_Reg, you don't have to do this. You don't have to listen to them!"_

"_Sirius…" _Orion warned and Sirius turned on him.

"_No, you stay out of this! Don't you see what you're doing to him?"_

Their father began again, but Sirius ignored him and hurried to Regulus' side. _"I don't believe that you would do this. It isn't you. Regulus, stop this. Stop before it's too late."_

"_I…" _Regulus thought maybe he could agree. They could run away. Start a life far away. Perhaps find a few fit birds to love. Get married by choice. Going with Sirius could let Regulus have his own life.

But that had never been his fate. _"I can't, Sirius. It _is _me."_

"_I know you."_

"_No, you don't. You haven't known me for too long."_

"_Reg –"_

"_Your brother has spoken his choice, Sirius. I ask of you to leave the room now." _Regulus could tell by the tone in his father's voice and the look in his eye that this wouldn't be the end of the conversation for him and Sirius.

"_Why… why would you do this?" _It seemed as if his brother was lost. As if he couldn't stop talking.

"_Sirius..." _The warning came again.

"_You made him into you! You –" _A flash of orange light shot across the room, straight to Sirius' chest. It knocked him backward and Regulus thought he could see flecks of blood through the gray t-shirt. He looked to his mother.

Walburga was now standing, her wand pointing to her eldest son. _"Listen to your father."_

Sirius regained his composure quickly. _"You're just as bad as he is! Worse, even! You don't even care that he could die and you're his mother! You're just a sad, lonely, heartless _bitch!"

"Crucio!" Orion's wand was poised now and Sirius suddenly fell to the ground, writhing in pain. After a few moments, Orion raised his wand. _"Now, do you understand?"_

Sirius struggled to sit up. Struggled to breathe. Still, he looked up at the man. When he spoke, his voice shook slightly from the curse he had just endured. This, however, did not take away from the fact that his tone was colder than Regulus had ever heard it. _"I will _never _understand this family."_

"Crucio."

Regulus looked on in horror as this continued, over and over again. Sirius screamed – he called Regulus' name, asking his brother for help – and yet Regulus just stayed still. He didn't know how long it lasted. Minutes, hours, perhaps even days. When it was finally over (would it ever _really _be over?), Regulus watched as Sirius summoned his trunk (Regulus wondered if his brother always kept it packed) and things with the rest of the energy he had left. Raising his wand, Sirius turned.

And then he was _gone_.

As the memory flooded through him, Regulus was glad that he had left his friends to change into his school robes. Honestly, he hadn't been happy since then, though he was awfully good at pretending. The only thing that made him feel even remotely excited was the prospect of seeing her again. A chance meeting had turned into something more than he had planned.

He looked down at his watch and swore. The reminiscing had made him late. He was supposed to have met her in the abandoned compartments at the back of the train five minutes ago. It meant he would miss the prefects' meeting, but it was something he was willing to risk.

He hurried out of the bathroom and to the back, making sure to keep his head low as he entered their compartment. When he saw her, some of the weight since seeing Sirius at the platform finally lifted from his shoulders.

Emmeline Foster really did have a nice smile.

* * *

The prefects were already packing up by the time James and Lily reached the last item on the list.

"Just remember to check the board in the prefects' office on Wednesday evening. We will have the patrol schedule done by then. For the beginning of the week, James and I will just do them ourselves." Lily paused and looked around at the prefects, whose attention was waning. "Alright, go ahead."

They all stood quickly and immediately made their way to the door, eager to see friends or significant others after the long summer apart. "But remember to show the first years to their houses after the feast!" She called after them.

Remus stopped by James on his way out to ask if he should wait, but James waved him on ahead. He turned to Lily and leaned against the wall, watching her put her things away.

"You're ace at this," he observed. "Being Head Girl."

She shrugged and brushed her hair from her face. "I've been to enough of these to know what needs to be done."

"Well, I pity you. This was bloody awful. I can't believe we have to do this once a month."

"At least you weren't around last year. Adrian had them every other week."

James perked up. "So that means we get to decide."

"Yes," Lily answered slowly, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Let's make them once a semester, then! Right, so this one's out of the way… I'll plan the one for January."

Lily rolled her eyes, but her lips still twitched upwards. "We can't do that, Potter."

"Why not?"

"Because we have important things to discuss with the prefects." She suddenly grinned. "But, don't worry; you can still plan the next one."

James groaned. "You're a bloody nightmare."

"That's what they tell me." She swung her bag over her shoulder, but it wasn't fully zipped and a book fell to the floor. Cursing wildly, she reached down to pick it up.

"Damn, Evans," James whistled lowly. "I've never heard the words 'poxy,' 'wankstain,' and 'tosser' used in a sentence like that."

Lily moved one of her shoulders upwards in a shrug. The two walked together from the compartment and headed down the corridor. "It's that twit Mafalda Hopkirk. She's got me in a right foul mood."

"Why's that?"

"I reckon she thinks she would do a better job than me. She's wanted Head Girl for as long as I can remember. That's why she's such a flunky." She hesitated, as if she had more to say and James waited.

"And I overheard her telling some other Ravenclaws that I slept with Slughorn so he'd put a good word in with Dumbledore for me."

James paused for a few moments because bursting out in laughter. Lily glanced at him from the corner of her eye, glaring in offense.

"Oh, come on, Lily! You and Slughorn? That's obviously bollocks! No one in their right mind is ever going to believe that and, if they did, they'd be fucking daft! You said yourself that Hopkirk's a twit." He looked at her, putting his hands up in disbelief. "How do you not see the humor in this?"

Lily slowly gave a reluctant smile. "Okay, I see your point. Maybe I should mess with her? Play into it. She wouldn't know what to do with that!"

"Tell her that Slughorn wears those frilly knickers and he asked you to model them."

She began to play along and they both started laughing. "Honestly, Potter. You really think he'd wear those? _My _Horace is _much _more sophisticated than that! He _obviously _goes starkers beneath those robes."

"Do you mean to say that you had to take off all four metres of his fabric?"

Lily nodded solemnly. "I did. It fell on top of me and I almost drown!"

"Poor Mafalda. She would've loved that."

"She's just jealous because she chose McGonagall to shag instead."

"In her tabby form, of course."

"Of course," she agreed with him as if the idea of Mafalda shagging Professor McGonagall as a tabby cat was the most natural thing in the world.

They continued to laugh, clutching at their sides, until they reached the compartment where Marlene was sitting with Sophie Clarke, one of the girls' other roommates.

Emmeline was mysteriously absent.

They stood outside, Marlene eyeing them through the window curiously, until their laughter died down. "Thanks, James," Lily said, wiping at her eyes.

"My pleasure." He stood, watching her, until Lily averted her attention to the compartment and Marlene. "Right. The lads, they're probably waiting for me."

"Probably. See you later."

"Yup, see you." He began to walk in the opposite direction, towards the back of the train, when he called out from over his shoulder. "And don't forget to show the first years to their houses after the feast!"

Lily blinked, surprised that he had even been listening.

* * *

Remus stood awkwardly at the entrance to the Great Hall. He kept looking at the spot across from Sirius. It was still empty (no one from Gryffindor dared the mistake of nearing it) and Remus knew it was meant for him.

He wasn't sure if he was ready to forgive Sirius yet. After all, his former friend hadn't tried to contact him to apologize even once this summer. Remus shouldn't be surprised… Sirius had always been too proud. It was one of the qualities that his shared with his namesake. Remus sighed. His anger was fading, but he didn't want to give in.

Maybe he was a bit more proud than he'd like to admit as well.

His eyes scanned the table, falling on a familiar red head at the end. He gave an easy smile and approached her.

"Lily, Emmeline, Marlene," he greeted. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

The girls shook their heads and Marlene scooted down the bench to make room for Remus. Lily gave an inconspicuous look towards the other three Marauders, to which Remus ignored.

"Nice meeting today, Lily. Lasted half the time as last years' opening one."

"That's because Adrian is a bint." She continued on quickly, not giving Remus a chance to respond. "Down the table is a little crowded, eh?"

Remus could've kicked himself for giving her an in. "I'm sure they are saving the spot for someone else."

"They aren't _saving _anything," Marlene cut in. "Everyone knows the four of you sit in the middle."

"I thought I'd try something new today." He wouldn't look up from the empty plate in front of him.

Lily looked worried. "Do you think that –"

But she was interrupted by the double doors opening and McGonagall entering with the first years trailing behind. Remus silently thanked Merlin as the students began to quiet down. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on a stool in front of the room and it began to speak clearly, its words echoing through the Great Hall.

_Though you may think me old_

_And littered only with dust_

_I am not dim and I have seen_

_So hear my song, you must._

_I've only said this once before_

_When blue skies turned to grey_

_The time has come for me to sing_

_About the storms that make their way._

_Not long ago, Grindelwald was strong_

_But there was another, too._

_He rose up his wand in bravery_

_And now sits in front of you._

_Listen to the differences_

_As this, I have been charmed._

_But please, take heed and know_

_To divide makes me alarmed._

_Still, Ravenclaw will take you in_

_If your virtue is your mind._

_And Hufflepuff will welcome you,_

_Should you be loyal and kind._

_With Gryffindor, you'll find your place_

_Once you make your valour known._

_Now, Slytherin will fit you well_

_If this world has always been your home._

_Once you place me on your head_

_I'll see inside your brain_

_And into one of the houses you'll go_

_To not be moved a-gain._

_It makes me dreary to see you split_

_As the founders did so sadly._

_Because the dark winds are coming nearer_

_I must try to stress this badly._

_Leave the importance of blood and power_

_Only then we shall be freed._

_Stand together and remember this:_

_United we will succeed._

The Sorting Hall fell silent, but the students in the hall did not bustle about. They only looked around to one another with wide, serious expressions. This was no Sorting Hat song.

This was a warning.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always, thanks to Katie, who beta'ed this chapter!

Reviews are like finding money in your pockets. (Who doesn't love that?!)


	6. Chapter 5: Skin Outwards

**A/N:** This chapter has a weird title. Whoever can guess why I chose it gets 10 gold stars!

My tumblr name is honey-lake if you would like to follow me!

Also, this story is rated 'M' for dark themes, violence, and character death. Just in case you wanted to know what caused me to switch it.

* * *

This chapter is dedicated to **LilyHeartsJames! **This reader not only wrote me a very nice review, but also wrote a few posts about this story on Tumblr. Thanks, LilyHeartsJames!

* * *

Thank you so much to all my lovely readers. I love you all so much and really, really appreciate all the support! Also, thanks to my beautiful beta, Katie!

* * *

**Chapter Five: **Skin Outwards

Remus had sent the Ravenclaw prefect, Ginna Edgecombe, to bed an hour ago, saying that he could finish the rounds on his own. The poor girl's eyes wouldn't stop closing, even as they walked down the halls. Remus couldn't imagine how someone would get so tired so soon after classes started, but he was very aware that everyone had their secrets and he decided not to pry.

Unfortunately, that also meant he had to break up three snog sessions (one that seemed to be getting more heated by the moment) by himself as students seemed rather randy after a summer away.

He was on the last floor – Remus liked to start his patrols in a way that he could end at the kitchens in case he felt like a late-night snack – and was about to turn away to end his shift when he heard giggling coming from the end of the corridor. His first instinct was to pretend he hadn't noticed anything, but knew he shouldn't slack off this early in the year. Sighing bitterly, he turned to walk towards the source of the noise.

He could make out the forms of two students, pushed up against one another closely, the slimmer figure's hands grabbing the other's hair forcefully. Their lips were pressed together and Remus felt the awkward bubble rise up in him whenever he had to break up something like this.

He cleared his throat.

The two students did not dart apart like he expected them to, but the boy pushed the girl away slightly. By the time Remus reached them enough to make out who they were, he knew why. The boy, Hayden Whitby, was the Ravenclaw fifth year prefect and Remus assumed the nervous look passing over his face was due to getting caught after hours during his first week on the job. The girl, however, did not look even slightly miffed by the interruption. Her make-up was smeared, circling her eyes in a dark nature, and her hair was mussed from the rendezvous.

Remus looked to Hayden first. Remembering how much the prefect position had meant to him when he first received it, Remus felt bad for the boy. "Whitby, you go on ahead. Don't worry, I won't write you two up."

The younger prefect visibly relaxed and nodded, thanking Remus. He only glanced at the girl, not even sparing her a goodbye, before turning on his heel and heading to the Ravenclaw dormitory.

Remus turned to the girl, whose yellow and black striped tie was falling loosely around her neck, and finally recognized her. "Hestia Jones, right?"

Hestia nodded and pursed her lips, crossing her arms as if she was angry with him. "I know how this works… you let your little prefect friend off without even a warning and I get written up for being out after hours."

Remus blinked in surprise at the upfront nature of the Hufflepuff. Usually, students acted more embarrassed than this when caught in such a compromising position. "No… no, I was just going to offer to walk you back to your dormitory."

"Oh." She struggled to keep up her anger and Remus wondered exactly what had gotten her so cross. It couldn't be him. He had just let her off easily. "I can walk myself, you know."

"Ok." But the two began in the same direction anyway and Hestia did not object.

As they walked, her anger began to subside. She uncrossed her arms and straightened her skirt, face finally reddening in embarrassment. The walk to the Hufflepuff common room was uneventful and the two did not make more than small talk. Hestia seemed distant, but Remus did not know her very well and felt it wasn't his place to ask. He knew she was family friends with Peter, but the two did not have much interaction while at school and, for all Remus knew she could've just been a quiet person.

However, judging from what he'd seen at parties and, now in the halls, Remus guessed that wasn't the case.

"Er… well, I'm off," he said awkwardly once he reached the entrance.

"Ok, thanks."

Remus nodded and made to turn away, when Hestia spoke again. "I'm not a tart, you know."

He turned back to her. Underneath her dark eye shadow and faded red lipstick, Hestia seemed sad. Her blue eyes stared at him with such a familiar look that Remus felt his stomach sink. He knew that look well. It stared back at him every morning in the mirror, just after the wolf subsided.

Self-loathing.

"I never said you were."

"Yes, but everyone else thinks so." She looked down at the ground, as if just admitting this was unbearable. He wondered why she was telling him this. "I heard Bathsheda Babbling and the MacDougal twins talking about me today and that's what they said." She paused, before adding bitterly. "I didn't even shag him! We were just snogging."

She looked up at him and Remus realized with a jolt that she was expecting him to say something back. "Oh… uh… that's good. I mean, I think."

Suddenly, she was adamant about making sure Remus knew that she wasn't a slag. "It is! We went on three dates this summer. I think that's a good amount of time to let him kiss me like that, don't you?"

"Sure?" He questioned. Hestia's constant fluctuation of emotions was catching him off-guard, but it actually wasn't uncomfortable listening to her rant.

Hestia sighed. "Merlin, I wish people would just mind their own damn business. Just because a girl likes to fool around doesn't mean she's a bint. When boys do it, they get called brilliant, but it's not the same for girls. You should know."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're mates with Sirius Black and he's the king of getting into girls' knickers, isn't he?"

Remus shouldn't have been surprised that Hestia knew who he and his friends were but, for some reason, he wished she didn't. He wanted to start from the beginning with her and didn't know why. The thought made him shift as he answered. "I guess so."

"And what do people say about him?"

A small smile formed on his lips, thinking about his current predicament with Sirius. "It depends on who you're talking to."

As they fell silent, Remus couldn't help but admire Hestia. In the darkness surrounding the entrance to the Hufflepuff basement, she looked lovely. She was looking at the ground, her hair falling into her face and obscuring part of it. He wondered if this is what other blokes saw when they looked at her, but he doubted it. The girls Hestia had talked about had called her a slag for a reason and Remus knew the boys of Hogwarts well enough to know what they would see.

He didn't know whether it was the dim lighting or the fact that he suspected her confession had more to do with insecurity than anything else but, to him, Hestia Jones looked innocent. Beautiful. The last thought made him blush and he was grateful for dim lighting.

"Well, I just wanted you to know that about me."

"You didn't have to tell me," he said sincerely. "I already knew."

Hestia locked her eyes with his, looking as surprised as Remus felt at his words. Then, suddenly, she smiled brilliantly, showing off her full lips and too-wide teeth. "I've decided that I like you, Remus Lupin."

"I made the cut, then?"

"Definitely."

He gave her a shy smile. "Goodnight, Hestia."

"I'll be seeing you."

Remus hoped so, but he was too cowardly to tell her, so he just turned away and walked to the Gryffindor common room, feeling lighter than he had all summer.

* * *

On Wednesday, the 7th years had their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The students who had the class earlier in the week had been eagerly talking about the new professor – an ex-Auror who had mysteriously not been introduced during the Opening Feast – saying that it was great being taught by someone who had actually _been there._

All in all, James was more excited for a class than he had been in a long time. So, the fact that he had been stopped in the corridor by a third year who had too many questions about Quidditch try-outs, which were scheduled for the next day, and therefore making him late, annoyed him to no end.

He walked into the room alone and the door closed loudly behind him, causing everyone to turn around in their seats and watch him walk to his. James caught Lily's eye in the front corner, where she gave him a look that said she thought he was being predictable, before finding the empty seat next to Sirius, who was stifling a laugh. James noticed Remus sitting next to Peter behind them, which made things seem almost normal.

The professor, who was standing in the front of the room wearing long, dark green robes, cleared his throat in order to bring the attention back to him. "As I was saying," he said, though he did not sound angry like Professor McGonagall would have. "My apologies for missing the Opening Feast… I was too ill to attend. But, I'm here now and figure I can do a pretty adequate job at introducing myself. I'm Caradoc Dearborn and I'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for this year. I've been working as an Auror for about twenty years, but needed a break for personal reasons and I owed Dumbledore a favor."

Professor Dearborn was a tall, black man with stubble around his chin and lips. He was wearing a dragonhide chain around his neck with some sort of sharp tooth hanging at the end of it and his left arm was littered with deep healing wounds, which were half-covered with leather bracelets. He was handsome, but not overly so, and seemed confident enough at his position in front of the room.

"I may not be the most conventional teacher. You may hate me and that's okay. Feel free to say bad things about me when I'm not around. I remember my time as a student here and it's almost inevitable once I start giving out school work." He gave a good-natured smile and the students laughed.

"However, you all only have one year until you're out in the real world and right now, the real world isn't at its best." The class fell silent and many leaned forward, hanging onto his words. "There is a war going on. I am not here to sugarcoat it, nor will I pretend it is not happening. Here, in these walls, you might feel safe.

"Out there, you will not."

He raised his wand and gave it a silent wave, causing a loud, rumbling noise to fill the room. A pedestal with a grand, cement basin atop of it moved slowly from the corner of the room to the front. "I am here to prepare you for that. Can anyone tell me what this is?"

Someone in the back of the room must've raised his hand because Professor Dearborn pointed at him and said, "Yes, sir?"

"It's a Pensieve," came the familiar dull reply and James rolled his eyes.

"Correct," Professor Dearborn said. "And what is your name?"

"Severus Snape, sir. But, if I may, I'm not sure how a Pensieve fits into this class at all." Snape's reply could've been chalked up to simple student curiosity if it wasn't for the nasty sneer that played across his face.

Professor Deaborn's eyes flashed with subtle annoyance, but he otherwise did not change his expression. "Well, Mr. Snape, I will show you." He looked from Snape to address the rest of the class. "The best way to defend yourself against Dark Magic is to know your enemy. The memories you will see next are graphic and frightening and very, very real. I apologize for this, but it is necessary to your extensive learning."

He moved his wand in a circular motion over the Pensieve's top. James watched as the memories inside grew bigger and projected in the air, large enough for the entire class to see. James wasn't even aware that a Pensieve was able to do that.

"Watch closely," Professor Dearborn whispered throughout the quiet room.

The scene began. Two men in dark masks that James knew to be Death Eaters were laughing, but they were being drowned out by a third person's scream. It took a moment before James could identify the source of the shriek, but movement on the ground pulled his eyes there. It was a young Asian woman a little older than him, but her skin was almost fully covered in mud, and the only color coming through was the red of blood.

"Now, don't make us do this again," the shorter Death Eater said in a gruff voice. "Tell us what you know and we'll let you go."

His promise was empty, however, when the other Death Eater laughed again cruelly.

"I don't know anything!" The girl was crying, the tears creating lines down her face, where it showed her white skin.

"Should've known," the taller Death Eater said in a thick, Scottish accent. "A Mudblood who doesn't know anything. What a surprise…"

"She's practically agreeing with us, eh?" The shorter one chimed in.

"Please, please," the girl begged. "Just let me go… I won't… I won't tell anyone!"

"Ah, but Mudblood can never keep their word. Ain't trustworthy, the lot of you!"

James felt his blood boil and he clenched his fist tightly. Why was Professor Dearborn showing them this?

"Let's try 'er again!"

They seemed to be enjoyed this. James felt his heart race and his stomach drop.

"_Cutis Extrorsum!" _

"Shit!" A light whisper could be heard from the edge of the projection. It sounded like a younger Professor Dearborn and James suddenly remembered that this was the teacher's memory.

Slowly, the woman's skin pulled away from her body and turned inside out. The circles of her eyeballs could be seen clearly and her skeleton began to glow. Her shriek grew louder and blood dripped from all parts from her body. They looked like small, red raindrops coming from each pore in her skin.

Without realizing he was doing it, James stood from his seat. Sirius looked up, worried, as James began to speak.

"Stop! Stop it _now!" _He yelled at Professor Dearborn. The teacher looked to his student, startled, and the projection abruptly ended, the memories swirling back into the Pensieve quickly. "Why would you show us that? WHY?"

James couldn't rationalize his thoughts. He just knew that it was wrong… all wrong. His dad, Voldemort, Dark Magic. Professor Dearborn rushed forward quickly. "James," he began. James' mind was moving too quickly to wonder how his professor knew his name. "It was to show you what it's like out there. You have to be…"

"I don't have to be like anything! Certainly not _you!" _James yelled coldly. "That was your memory! You were just standing there, watching it! You didn't even help her! She died and you just STARED!"

"James, I had to wait for back-up… you don't understand how it works…"

"Don't you _dare _tell me what I do and don't understand!" He grabbed his knapsack and swung it across his shoulder violently, walking from the room while his classmates stared, their mouths dropping open.

He didn't look back.

* * *

James' foul mood lasted well into the evening. Sirius and Peter bid him good night early, tired of his irritable mood, leaving him to sit in front of the fire, sulking. When most of the students cleared the common room and the embers burned lowly, Lily walked over to him, conjuring a blanket to pull around her lap as she sat down.

"Hey," she said quietly and James grunted in reply. "Are you ok?"

He shrugged. "What a tosser. I don't know what everybody sees in him. What kind of professor shows that on the first bloody day of class?"

"I don't know, Po- James. He didn't continue on with the lesson after you left."

"It's ridiculous. He just stood there! You saw that, right?"

"I did." She had things she could say to argue. James needed a new perspective; Lily knew… but now was not the time. "Your mates went upstairs?"

"Yeah, I reckon they're tired of me glaring at the fire and blasting it with my wand every five minutes."

"James," Lily prodded gently. "I know this is about your dad…"

He put up a hand to stop her. "Don't," but his voice wasn't angry. "Please, just… don't. I know it's about him. He's dead and there's nothing that I can do to bring him back. But… it's more than just him, too. Those Death Eaters… they do that _every day_. And we're just sitting here, taking classes and worrying about the next Quidditch match. Where's the good in that?"

"It's not our time, James. We're still in school," Lily said. "We're just kids."

James turned his head and locked his eyes with her. "So was that girl." He stood up and gave her a small grin. "It's getting late, Miss Head Girl. Time for bed, don't you think?"

"You go on ahead. I'm going to stay up for awhile."

"Goodnight, Lily."

"Goodnight, James."

* * *

The smoke from Hestia's cigarette floated up into the sky and Remus watched it disappear. She had already asked Remus if he wanted a hit three times, to which he denied each instance, causing her to call him a 'prude,' a 'prig' or something equally as insulting.

For the last week and a half, he had been splitting his nights between hanging out with Hestia on the grounds or studying with Lily and her friends. He had seen James and Peter a few times, but they were rarely without Sirius and, to be honest, he still wanted to avoid his friend.

Despite the fact that they didn't even know half the real story, both Lily and Hestia told him he was being childish and to just forgive the prat. He knew that they were probably right, but his pride had gotten in the way. He couldn't forgive his friend until Sirius apologized. He had never felt like more of Gryffindor than at this moment.

Just like the night she ranted to him about tarts, Hestia was a rollercoaster of emotions. She could turn from angry (never at him) to excited in a mere moment. Remus had never met anyone like her and it was refreshing. Finding her had come at the perfect time… just when Remus had needed a distraction, Hestia Jones had shown up with purple eye shadow and see-through blouses.

Remus couldn't deny that he was attracted to her, but he didn't enjoying spending time with her just because she was easy to look at. Hestia balanced him out nicely. She liked to talk and he was content with listening. In the past, he had always had trouble moving the conversation forward with broads. With Hestia, she switched subjects enough to keep it not only interesting, but enough to confuse Remus more than once.

He knew that people were starting to talk, but he didn't care. Hestia was still snogging Whitby on the nights she wasn't with Remus and he knew that she was way out of his league. There was no way that someone like her would go for someone like him.

Now, they were sitting across from each other in the courtyard at one of the white tables, Hestia's feet propped up on the bench, while Remus sat properly. It was lunchtime and she had grabbed him from the Gryffindor table where he had been eating with Lily, Emmeline, and Marlene so she could smoke a fag in his company. Lily had raised her eyebrow questioningly, but hadn't commented, for which Remus was grateful. The only downside of hanging with so many girls was the amount of gossip he had to listen to. He guessed that he would only be able to handle it for another week or two before he'd just pretend like nothing ever happened with Sirius and start hanging around the Marauders again.

"Are we on for tonight?" Hestia asked him. "I thought we could go to the library so you could help me with an essay I have to do for Slughorn. Maybe you could look in your trunk and see if you still have yours from last year?"

"I'm not letting you cheat," he said, though he knew that with a little persuading, he might let her 'look it over.' He decided he wouldn't let her figure this out about him just yet. The other Marauders used his weakness to peer pressure to their advantage and he knew that Hestia wouldn't be above it either. "And I have a prefects meeting tonight."

Hestia took another hit of her cigarette, inhaling deeply. "I thought those were only once a month?"

"They are, but Lily called one because there's a problem with the Hogsmeade weekend or something."

"Hmm," was her only reply. "So you'll let me borrow your essay?"

"I probably don't even have it anymore."

Hestia gave him a doubtful look. "You and I both know you have it."

He didn't know how she knew him so well after only a week of speaking regularly, but he didn't ask. "I'll let you _look over _it. That doesn't mean _copy._"

She smirked. "Thanks." And, as an afterthought, added, "You know, you don't seem like a Gryffindor at all."

"Why's that?"

"For all that bravery tosh, you're awfully afraid of getting in trouble. And aren't you supposed to be, like, a Marauder or something?"

"Well, you don't seem like a Hufflepuff."

Hestia laughed, causing the smoke to erupt from her mouth. "Why's that?" She mimicked sarcastically, ashing the fag.

"Aren't Hufflepuffs supposed to be nice and kind?"

She shrugged. "I think the Hat just placed me there because it couldn't find anywhere else. Besides, I _am _nice and kind. You're just too sensitive," she teased.

Now it was Remus' turn to laugh. "Is that so? You seem to hide it pretty well. Perhaps we should switch houses?"

"And have to spend more time than necessary with you self-righteous gits? No, thank you."

"Yeah, because I'll have a field day if all Hufflepuffs are like you."

She pointed at him with the cigarette. "I never would've pegged you for the sarcastic one. Not with the way Peter talks about you guys."

"What would you have pegged me as?"

"The mysterious, brooding one."

"And the others?"

"Well, I think that's fairly obvious. Potter is the arrogant, privileged one, Peter has the whole innocent tag-along look down, and Black takes the cake with arsehole."

"That's a fairly accurate observation. Maybe you should be in Ravenclaw, instead."

Her teasing turned serious. He wasn't surprised by the jump. He had gotten use to it in the past week. "Though I think you lot have more going on than people see. You've got to. No one can be that close and _not _have secrets."

Remus stayed silent. Oh, if she only knew _how _many secrets he and the lads shared. He felt a sad lump in his throat. He missed them.

"I don't have secrets with people. I'm not close enough to anyone," She said.

"You can tell me something, if you'd like."

"We'll swap?"

Remus shrugged. "Sure."

"Okay…" She took a deep breath. "I think it'd be brill to be an actress." At Remus' questioning eyebrow, she continued. "I saw a Muggle movie once when I was little and became obsessed with them. I would buy a telly if my mum wouldn't go bonkers over it. So, I sneak out to the films whenever I can and I want to do that. I know I can."

He thought about her over-the-top personality. "I don't doubt it."

"But you can't tell anyone because I want it to be a secret… just between us."

"Alright." She looked at him expectantly. "My turn? Hmm… well, I once burned down a barn."

Hestia laughed. "Really?"

"It was when I was very young and still unable to control my magic. I burnt down the neighbors barn and then just laughed about it."

"Now I can see it."

"See what?"

"Why you're friends with them. You, Remus Lupin, are mischievous."

"I thought I hated trouble."

"So? People can be both."

"I should get angry with you for always telling me what I am."

"You won't."

She took a final drag of the cigarette, threw it on the ground, and crushed it beneath her foot. He watched it burn out and he knew that she was right.

* * *

"Potter! Potter!" Lily could see Sirius' heads bobbing over the rest of the students, as he was a fair bit taller than most of them. Sure enough, James was striding alongside next to him. The two were hurrying along at a quick pace and Lily struggled to catch up amongst the throng of students coming from class.

"Potter!" She yelled loudly, causing a few people to look at her. She ignored them. Just as she neared the two boys, she shouted again. "JAMES!"

James and Sirius turned around, jumping a bit from the noise directly behind them. Sirius spoke first. "Merlin, Evans, I hope you don't scream out a blokes name like that when you're having a good snog. It's no wonder you don't have a boyfriend."

Lily rolled her eyes and pursed her lips, but otherwise ignored the taller boy as she turned to the one she had been trying to track down. James hand a hand through his hair. "What do you need?" he asked.

"I'm supposed to help out in the Hospital Wing tonight, but I had completely forgotten and scheduled that extra prefects' meeting," she explained. "I just wanted to let you know you'll have to run it by yourself because I won't be able to make it."

"Try-outs are tonight."

"We planned it for after so everyone could be there, remember?"

"Yeah, come on, Prongs," Sirius cut in. "What's trying to find the best players for the house team when you've got a piece of parchment to read from? Get your priorities straight."

"It's not just some parchment, Padfoot. We've got _important things _to discuss," James said, mimicking Lily's words from before.

"You two are impossible," Lily said. "But you'll be there, right?"

"Yeah," James replied, but he was already turning away. He and Sirius were meeting Peter to head to the kitchens for an after-class snack. "Nine o' clock."

"Eight o' clock!" She shouted after him.

James did not turn around, but he brought up his hand in a wave, indicating that he had heard.

* * *

Sam McKinnon's hands were shaking. He tried to make them stop by gripping his broom tighter, but it only caused his knuckles to turn white. He was nervous. Before Hogwarts, he had just played Quidditch for fun. Once Marley made the team during her fifth year, their casual matches became much more intense, as she said James Potter was the toughest Captain Gryffindor had ever had.

He hadn't know when he became good(or even if he _was _good) at the sport, but Marley had convinced him to try-out and said that the other people didn't stand a chance. They had practiced all summer – though a little too much with a beater's bat, as he thought that would be the only position open – but Sam still didn't feel prepared as he stood on the pitch, trying for chaser with other students who were older than him.

His ever-lacking confidence was faulting horribly, but Sam snuck a look at his older sister and forced himself to stand straight and keep his head held high. Marlene caught his eye across the pitch, where she was discussing something with Potter and the team and gave him a small wink.

Sam smiled.

Larson Coote, a third year who was trying out and the only one Sam recognized, stood next to him. He was at least two feet taller than Sam, but his face was white and his eyes wide, which made Sam feel at ease. He thought that happiness from someone else's obvious displeasure was something Marley would've scolded him about, but he couldn't help it. It made him feel much more real… like he wasn't the only one about to go mad. He just hoped Potter didn't look at his hands.

Five people were trying for the one open position of Chaser (one would get chosen, one would go on the reserves, while the others would get turned away completely): two sixth years, a boy and a girl; one fourth year girl; Larson Coote; and Sam. Though he was the youngest, he knew the sixth year boy was not built for the position and he had seen the fourth year fly earlier and she had trouble keeping control of her broom. He was sure he was up against the sixth year girl and Coote, who was suddenly less pale and more focused.

James Potter's usual arrogant smile did not even flit across his face as he stood in front of the prospect Chasers. Instead, he held a look of utter determination and focus. Being in the same house and year as his sister, Sam had seen and talked to James before. However, he had never looked like this and it was slightly intimidating.

"Okay, now," James began. "We will start by testing your flying skills with the Quaffle. I will be looking for passing and handling, as well as steady broom managing. At the end of the round, I'll eliminate two people and we'll move onto shooting to see who gets the spots. Got it?"

"Since there is always a catch," James continued. "The team already set in place will be playing against you. You'll have to watch out for bludgers, as well as me and McKinnon trying to steal the Quaffle. You can try to score points – it'll help you in the end, actually – but our Keeper will be playing to block."

He looked to the nervous Chasers as his team kicked off and flew into the air. "Ok now, brooms at the ready!" The five chasers lined up, their brooms in their hands. James blew his whistle and the Chasers took off. He threw the Quaffle into the air

Sam kicked off and took a left, missing the Quaffle by an inch as Larson grabbed it out of the air. He swore and flew forward, eager to break off and get open for a pass. As James flew forward and blocked Larson, Sam veered to the middle, opening his hands for a pass. Larson eyed him, but kept the Quaffle under his arm.

James stole it easily. "Coote, you need to pass it if you want to play!" He threw it to Sam, who caught it, stumbling only slightly, and rushing towards the goal posts.

A bludger came zipping past his head and he dodged it quickly, almost dropping the Quaffle. He passed it off to the sixth year girl, who scored. "Nice toss, Little McKinnon," Sam heard James' voice from behind him.

"Zanders," James said to the sixth year girl. "Don't horde the goal posts!"

Zanders – Sam did not know her first name – looked crestfallen, but got back into the game easily enough and flew back behind him. The fourth year girl now had the Quaffle, but dropped it quickly when she lost control of her broom, where Marley caught it and threw it to James.

He passed it off to the sixth year boy, who flew with it easily enough, but a bludger coming his way caused him to pass it as he tried to avoid it. Sam knew from the beginning his build wouldn't be good for dodging.

"Gotta do better than this, guys!" James yelled.

"Hey!" The sixth year girl yelled from her position low on the field.

James rolled his eyes. "And girls." He threw the Quaffle to her.

Sam fell in line with her and the two passed it back and forth to the goal post. Sam took the shot, but the keeper blocked it. "Don't show him where you're going, Little McKinnon!"

After awhile longer of this (the fourth year surprised Sam by scoring a goal and Coote came back with a few passes, though he tended to keep the Quaffle to himself), James blew his whistle again and the team and the five perspective Chasers flew to the ground.

"Alright!" James said, walking to the front of the people trying out. "You did well… some of you better than others."

Sam saw Marley roll her eyes behind James and mouth to the group, "_Don't mind him!"_

"Onto the next round: Zanders, Coote, and Little McKinnon."

Marley smiled brightly at Sam before turning to James. "Could you stop calling him 'Little McKinnon'?" she asked.

"No," James replied matter-of-factly. "How would I tell you apart?"

Marlene just laughed and shook her head. She walked over with the rest of the team to sit on the reserve benches, as they wouldn't be needed for the next section. "All right," James continued. "Now, the three of you will do shooting. Pritchers will stay up in the hoops and you'll each get five shots." He threw the Quaffle to Larson first and Sam wondered if his choice for the order meant something.

Larson flew up to the goal posts (Sam could see that his face had paled again) and began to shoot. He made three of the five. When Zanders – Sam learned her first name was Julia – made four shots, he grew nervous.

James tossed him the Quaffle and Sam almost dropped it. "You're up, Little McKinnon."

Sam flew up into the air. He made the first shot easily and wondered if the Keeper was helping him out. When he threw the Quaffle the second time and only made it by an inch, however, he knew that the first must've been from luck. He looked right, but hooked left on the third and made it through the middle hoop. And, on the fourth, he flew close enough to be broom-to-broom with the Keeper before throwing it in.

Finally, on the final shot, he pushed his broom forward faster and aimed it right above the Keeper. It was a long shot, he knew, but he had remembered from the games the year before that Pritchers had a tough time with the high ones on account of his height.

It felt like the Quaffle was going in slow motion as it left his hand. He watched eagerly and was positive it would go in when it tipped the goal post and fell towards the ground. Sam turned, defeated, when he heard a collective gasp from the team.

He whipped back around quickly and watched as the Quaffle hit the bottom of the hoop, teetering there for just a second, before tilting in. He threw a fist in the air in excitement. He couldn't believe it. He, Sam McKinnon, had just made the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. And he was only a second year.

He didn't hear as James turned to his beaming sister and said, "Reminds me of someone I know."

Marlene smacked him in the arm. "My brother is _nothing _like you, James Potter."

James smirked, looked at his watch, and yelled to the new team. "While we have some time, we might as well practice!"

The team groaned. Sam smiled.

* * *

Remus sat in the office with the rest of the prefects, ready for the Heads to show up and start the meeting. They had already been here for fifteen minutes – Mafalda was pursing her lips and tapping her foot angrily – and Remus was sure that everyone was getting restless.

As the time clicked by, people started to get up, one by one, and leave the room. Remus stood after Mafalda and exited the office. Both nearly ran into Lily, who was rushing towards the door.

"What's going on?" She asked. "Is the meeting already over?"

"I could be asking the same thing of you, _Head Girl," _Mafalda's voice was menacing as she said the word. "Not even showing up to the meeting that we weren't supposed to be having in the first place! That's just unacceptable!"

With that, Mafalda' stormed around Lily, heading towards the Ravenclaw common room, and leaving Lily dumbfounded. "What was that all about?" She asked Remus.

"Neither you or James were at the meeting, so everyone left."

By the darkening look on Lily's face, Remus thought maybe he had said the wrong thing. "James didn't show?"

He gulped, fully aware that he had just gotten his best mate into trouble, and shook his head.

"But I told him! And he said… ugh… he was…." Lily went on, not making much sense, until finally: "I'm going to kill him!"

"Lily…" Remus tried, but she was already stomping away, so he just said a silent prayer for his friend.

Lily found James just inside the Entrance Hall. He was still clad in his Quidditch robes, which had grass stains running down the right side, and he desperately needed a shower. She stopped in front of him and put her hands on her hips. James was reminded eerily of his mother. "Where were you?" She asked.

James furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. What in Merlin's name had he done to make her so cross with him? "Where was I, when?"

"Prefects' meeting," She said flatly. James' face fell. "I left the infirmary early to see how it was going and everyone was leaving because _you _didn't show!"

James had always been subjected to the worst type of pride so he decided that, if she wanted to be angry, so would he. "I was at Quidditch… ever heard of it?"

"I fly quite well, thank you!"

"Then why not come to try-outs yourself?"

"Because I don't want to spend any more time than I already have to with _you!"_

James glared heatedly. "It's your fault for scheduling it during bloody try-outs!"

"I set it for after and you know it!" James opened his mouth to respond, but Lily cut him off. "I know Quidditch is important to you, but this job is important to me. And, if it's too much to handle, you should've thought about that before accepting the position because I'm not keen on having a Head Boy who doesn't care!"

James lowered his voice. "I care."

"Well, you have a lousy way of showing it!" She turned away from him, her shoulders sagging, and started towards the common room.

* * *

Sirius had gone up to the dormitory early, intent on grabbing the bottle of Odgen's Finest he had stashed under his bed and drinking himself to sleep. Despite the fact that he was practiced in the skill of keep an easy-going attitude, he could not stand sitting in the common room, where it seemed as if all that people were talking about was Quidditch.

Though he knew it was his own damn fault that try-outs were being held, he wasn't keen on the idea of being replaced. He had mostly joined the team to play sports with his best mate and to pick up broads, but he had quickly discovered that there was much more to enjoy.

He had been flying broomsticks since he was a kid. He knew what to do and how to do it. But, back then, there was no threat of being blasted from the family tree. Back then, he hadn't given the idea of his expectation of Slytherin a second thought. Back then, he thought every child lived life the way he did. Back then, things seemed easy.

It was only after he started to doubt his parents' ideals and was sorted in Gryffindor that they became difficult. He discovered flying as a release. He didn't care that he wasn't as talented at Quidditch as James because, in the air, he could forget he was a Black.

He took another drink from the already half-empty bottle as the door swung open. Expecting James (Peter was in the library trying to get his Transfiguration assignment finished), Sirius said, "Little late for try-outs, eh? I'm sure you were having a bloody awful time finding someone who compared to me."

He looked up from the drink and put on his trained arrogant smile. It fell a moment later, however, when he saw who had walked through the door. Where he had been anticipating James, Remus stood. "Oh… er…" Sirius cleared his throat. "Hello."

"Hello," Remus replied just as awkwardly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I was just… I thought that everyone would be, you know, everyone would be back by now. Or that James would be hiding in here after missing the prefects' meeting."

"Prongs missed the meeting?" Sirius whistled lowly. "I bet Evans went on a warpath."

Remus just gave a half-grin and, for a few moments, neither spoke until Sirius said, "Are you ever going to forgive me?"

He didn't know whether it was the try-outs or the alcohol or the simple fact that this was his and Remus' first time being alone with one another since the school year, but the sentiment came out much darker than intended.

A subtle anger contrasted Remus' pale features and the faint scars on his face seemed to stand out against his skin more than usual. He crossed his arms. "Do you even want me to?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, laughed bitterly, and knocked back another drink from the Odgen's. "Of course I do. Are you mad?" He said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Funny, because you haven't mentioned it before now."

Sirius set the bottle on his nightstand, where it promptly fell over and started dripping onto the carpeted floor. He stood up and took a step towards Remus. "I apologized last year!"

"Yeah, when James was still in the Hospital Wing and I still wasn't sure if I was to be expelled!"

"But, it's all over and everything is fine now! James is all healed up and you're still in school."

"It's not over! It's _never _over and the fact that you think it is shows _just _how ignorant you really are!"

Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but closed it quickly when he realized that Remus was right. He spoke quietly. "I'm sorry, Remus. I really am. I just didn't think… there was so much going on… and I'm sorry."

The sincerity in Sirius' voice caused the anger to fade from Remus' face and his shoulders sagged. He knew that Sirius didn't completely understand… Remus doubted he ever would… but he really missed his friends. He needed them. "Thank you. Maybe… maybe I'll sit with you guys tomorrow." It sounded so idiotic, coming from his mouth, but Remus wasn't sure of what to say. "Merlin knows how you three have managed to stay alive without me keeping you in check."

Sirius laughed. He knew that things weren't fixed – not by a long shot – but maybe it was a start. Hell, he'd take that after all the things he had fucked up.

Remus pointed his wand at the Odgen's, which was still tilted from Sirius' haphazardous placement and flicked it, causing the alcohol to go back into the bottle and sit upright again. "How about we finish that while we wait to see if Lily's killed Prongs, yeah?"

Sirius nodded, took a swig, and handed it over as they both sat down around the room to get comfortable. Later, when Peter (who looked worn and tired) and James (who had a singed eyebrow) came in, they both acted as if nothing had changed.

Before bed, when all the boys were pished from the alcohol, Peter slurred, "Prongss… what 'appened to yer eyebro' anyway?"

James smirked. "Evans got me… turn'd 'round 'fore she left and hexed me. Bloody feisty, tha' one…"

* * *

**A/N: **I've seen this before and think it's a great way to get to know readers, so I'd like to ask you questions at the end of each chapter and you can answer them however you please! Some of them will be Harry Potter related, some not, and I'll give my answer at the end of the next chapter. I might not do this for the whole story, but at least for a little bit.

So, first question: "Who do you think is the most underappreciated character in the series/who do you most feel the need to defend?"

Have fun!

**Please shoot me a review! Thanks so much for reading!**


	7. Chapter 6: All Hallow's Naï-Eve

**A/N:** I'm so so sorry that it took me so long to update! School has been crazy and I didn't get a chance to even write until Winter Break. I hope you all will forgive me! Once again, tumblr name is honey-lake if you would like to follow me! And ask me anything on there… I promise I don't bite!

* * *

This chapter is dedicated to **LilyHeartsJames! **This reader not only wrote me a very nice review, but also wrote a few posts about this story on Tumblr. Thanks, LilyHeartsJames!

Thank you so much to all my lovely readers. I love you all so much and really, really appreciate all the support! Also, thanks to **wickeddominatrix** and** Alex **for their help with this chapter!

Another special shout-out to **Jubi!** Sorry it's so late, but happy belated birthday!

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**Chapter Six: **All Hallow's Naï-Eve

Lily had stayed at Professor Slughorn's annual Halloween party a reasonable amount of time – she still didn't know how James managed to get away so early – before heading to her dormitory to stare at her costume and contemplate the Marauders' party. In the end, it had been Malfada Hopkirk who showed her that she had made the right decision as she walked down the corridor in striped stockings, a patched dress, and her hair sticking out in straight angles from her head. She had seen Malfada just outside of the library giving a look of disapproval at Lily's obvious disregard for school rules, which just made Lily smile smugly in return, suddenly glad at her choice.

The party was in full swing by the time she arrived. Her eyes instinctively sought out Potter – since when did _that _happen? – and saw him in his favorite place: the middle of the room with Remus, Peter, and Sirius surrounding him. Ducking her head, angry at herself for caring where James Potter was, she headed to the corner of the room where Marlene and Emmeline were drinking out of brightly colored cups with some sort of sparkling beverage inside.

"Some party, yeah?" Marlene said, her cheeks already flushed red.

"Yeah…" Lily replied slowly, looking around more fully. She had never been to one of the Marauder Halloween parties before (not that she didn't ever attend parties… she just attempted to stay away from theirs) and wasn't sure what to expect.

It was much different than the Muggle Halloween parties that she was used to. She could remember dressing up as a kid to go trick-or-treating with Petunia and her mum. Now that her old costumes of witches and vampires had become a reality, she wasn't sure what costumes she would see here. It seemed as if a Wizarding World party wasn't far from a Muggle one, except everyone at Hogwarts dressed in some sort of Muggle occupation or sensation. Given how many of them did not know much about the Muggle world, Lily saw some amusingly incorrect costumes.

Both Marlene and Emmeline had asked for Lily's help earlier in the week, so they looked presentable. Marlene, who was dressed as a cheerleader, had on a skirt that was just a bit shorter than her knees and a sweater with a large letter "H" on the front. Her gold and red pom-poms were charmed to float beside her and, every once in awhile, they gave themselves a shake. Emmeline was wearing a blue and white checkered dress, ruby red slippers that sparkled, and had tied her hair into two braids. As a half-blood with a Muggle film-crazed mother, Emmeline had chosen the costume of Dorothy from _The Wizard of Oz _herself, but it had taken help from Lily and Marlene to charm her shoes to transport her across the room every time she tapped them three times.

"What took you so long?" Emmeline asked Lily. "James escaped Slughorn's over an hour ago!"

"I didn't need to _escape _anything, Emme! I happen to like Slughorn and his parties. I had a nice time!"

Marlene rolled her eyes. "Of course _you _would have fun at a bloody borefest." She pushed her drink into Lily's hand. "Here, drink this."

"I'm not sure whether or not I should be offended by that statement."

"You should. Now, drink!"

Lily eyed the sparkling drink, which seemed to change colors every minute or two, suspiciously. "What is it?"

Emmeline jumped in. "Something the Marauders came up with! They call it 'All Hallow's Naï-Eve' –"

"Because you're _naïve _if you think you won't be vomiting tonight!" James' familiar voice came from behind Lily.

She turned around and raised her eyebrows. "Clever," she said dryly, but took a drink regardless.

"We thought so," Remus chimed in, coming up to stand beside James with Peter and Sirius following.

Sirius looked her up and down and snickered. "What are you supposed to be?"

Lily followed his gaze, indignant. "Pippi Longstocking."

"Pippa Long-who?" Peter asked.

"_Pippi _Longstocking!" The boys broke out into laughter. "What? What's wrong with my costume?"

James shrugged and took a drink from his own glass of All Hallows Naï-Eve. ""You couldn't have chosen something, I don't know, _sexier_?"

"Halloween is not about looking fit! It's about dressing up, eating sweets, and having fun!"

"Sure, but your hair looks like it could poke an eye out."

"Don't tempt me," Lily replied darkly. "Besides, look as yourself! What are you dressed as?"

"I'm a Muggle Healer!"

"You mean _doctor? _You look ridiculous." Lily replied, eyeing James' attempted costume. Though he was wearing his white scrubs and jacket appropriately, he had wrapped a stethoscope around his waist like a belt. She pointed to it. "That's supposed to be worn around your neck. It's used to listen to people's hearts."

James laughed. "That's just daft."

Sirius, who was dressed as a realistic-looking pirate, turned to Remus and Peter. "This is boring," he said, eyeing Lily with disdain. "There's a game of 'Trolls and Elves' in the corner that's calling my name. McKinnon, come be my partner."

Marlene rolled her eyes and said, "But you're shit at 'Trolls and Elves'!"

"That just means we have to drink more," Sirius said back slyly. Nevertheless, Marlene stood to follow and their conversation drowned out quickly as they walked through the crowd to the corner of the room, where twenty cups were lined up and people were charming small retro-colored balls to make a splash at nearby watchers.

Emmeline excused herself to the bathroom, leaving James and Lily alone. Silence grew between them and, as their banter stopped, Lily wondered vaguely what caused her and James to act this way when other people were around. She took another drink and looked to the Marauders' and Marlene's retreating backs.

Peter was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a white shirt, but the shirt was crawling with spiders. As she watched, he picked one off the shirt and popped it into his mouth. At her look of disgust, James laughed. "Don't get your knickers into a twist, Evans. They're candy… just charmed to crawl around like that. Pretty brill, yeah?"

"But they look so real!"

"That's what _makes _them brill."

"I don't think I could ever consciously eat one of those."

James pointed to her drink, which was currently a deep shade of purple. "Well, then, drink up. After a few more of those, you might be veering towards unconscious and those spiders might look like a better idea."

Lily shook her head, shuddering. "What is Peter's costume anyway?"

James grinned cheekily. "Spiderman. Sirius heard something about the guy over the summer and we thought it'd be a good idea for Pete! Apparently, Spiderman saved people or something in the real world. I mean, I'm sure you've heard of him, right? I'm not sure how a bloke crawling in spiders can be a hero, but I learned long ago not to try to understand why the Muggles do the things they do."

Lily blinked, grew silent for a few moments, before bursting out in laughter. Upon seeing James' look of hurt, she said quickly, "I'm not laughing at you, Potter! It's just… do you know who Spiderman is?"

"Yes." James' reply was indignant. "I just told you."

"No, he's actually…" James' eyebrows knitted together in confusion and Lily sighed. "Nevermind… you've got it right. Congratulations."

James' arrogant grin slid easily back into place. "I'm ace at this stuff."

"I wouldn't go _that _far."

"But you just said –"

Lily cut him off, grabbing onto the sleeve of his scrubs. "Come on, Potter. Let's go find your mates before they drink too much 'All Hallow's Naï-Eve' and burn the place down."

* * *

Remus left the 'Trolls and Elves' table after Sirius and Marlene's third round. Marlene was basically holding the team together as Sirius downed cup after cup of 'All Hallow's Naï-Eve,' progressively getting more drunk. While Peter seemed to be having a good time, the game has never been Remus' thing. He hated having to charm the alcohol off his clothing every time someone caused a splash in the cup and, overall, it just wasn't entertaining to watch.

And, even though he didn't want to admit it, he had seen Hestia Jones walk through the doorway ten minutes earlier, thankfully unaccompanied by Whitby, and had been itching to go talk to her since.

Hestia was dressed in a short black dress that was low cut on her chest (Remus forced himself to look at her face as he smiled in greeting) and she was holding an old-fashioned cigarette that was periodically blowing wisps of smoke from the tips. The classy updo on top her head was what gave the costume away.

"Audrey Hepburn, right?" Remus said, pointing to her ensemble and smiling.

"Yes! Finally, _someone _gets it!" Hestia threw her hands up in frustration before putting her arms around Remus' neck and pulling him close in a hug. "You'd think these people had never seen a film before!"

Remus' face was red as they pulled away, but he acted like her touch hadn't affected him at all. "Most of 'em probably haven't," he said. "But you look nice."

"Thanks. I mean, I had to add some modern touches. It just wouldn't be Halloween otherwise." Remus assumed that she meant the shorter dress and her famous bright eyeshadow. Hestia pointed to his drink. "Where do I get one of those? I'm ready to get sloshed."

Remus chuckled before stretching his cup out to her. "You can have mine. We've gotta leave in a few minutes, anyway."

She didn't hesitate before downing the glass, watching it fill up on its own with a smile. "You Marauders do think of everything, don't you?"

"Well, we want to make sure our guests aren't thirsty."

"How hospitable," she laughed and, after a moment, "Where're you going?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said you had to leave in a few minutes," she explained slowly, as if talking to a child. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, uh, me and the lads… we've just got a… thing."

Hestia smirked. "How very mischievous of you. I'm surprised the birds aren't falling all over you right now. We go for that kind of thing, you know."

"I'm fine here," he said, shrugging casually, though his cheeks reddened slightly. Hestia bit her lip but, when she didn't reply, Remus quickly added, "Where's Whitby?"

"Oh, he's gone," Hestia waved her hand, rolling her eyes. "He – We decided to end things last night. It was getting kind of boring, you know?"

"I'm sorry," Remus said sincerely.

"What for? It's Halloween, I'm young, and these drinks refill themselves!"

Just then, Remus noticed James, Sirius, and Peter by the door, waving him over. Sirius held up his wrist, pointing to where a watch would be, indicating they were running late. "Yeah, should be fun," he said quickly. "Listen, I've got to go. See you when I get back?"

"Sure," she said, less enthusiastically. "Happy Halloween."

"Happy Halloween," he said as he began to back away from her. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"You mean I can't have any fun?" Hestia pouted jokingly and crossed her arms across her chest.

Remus didn't reply, just shook his head, laughing, and turned around to meet his friends. As he neared the door, he did not see Hestia sigh quietly and look around the room, nervous and unsure who would want to talk to her.

* * *

James, Sirius, and Remus' laughter filled the corridor as the Marauders walked back to the party. They had taken off the invisibility cloak a few minutes earlier, the prank having been _mostly _a success, and James had stuffed it into the pocket of his scrubs. Peter followed behind the three other boys, huffing, his arms crossed.

"Oh, don't get all shirty, Wormtail," Remus started, trying to subdue his laughter. "It doesn't look _that _bad."

"You set the bats on me!" Peter yelled back at him, causing Remus' chuckles to rise back up again.

"That was Sirius!"

Not denying it, Sirius just shrugged. "Remus was the one to make them dance atop your head."

"I think you should keep your hair like that. Looks better than before, mate," James said.

"Har, har. Very funny," Peter answered bitterly, raising a hand to his head. His hair was in disarray, the bats' dance having mussed it up more than James'. It was tangled and knotted and Peter was pretty sure he could feel some wet substance that he didn't want to know about.

"Cheer up, Peter, "James said."Think about all the Slytherins that will look like you tomorrow."

"I'm not sure why _I _had to be the test subject."

"You forgot the password. That was your only job."

"I told you… they must've changed it since Wednesday!"

Sirius reached over and clasped Peter on the shoulder. "Muggles use test rats. It's very fitting."

As the laughter grew once again, Peter grumbled something that sounded like 'I need a drink,' and the boys neared the classroom where the party was being held. James noticed someone out the corner of his eye and saw Lily sitting on the opposite wall of the party doors. He turned to his friends quickly, "I'll… er… I'll catch up with you guys later, yeah?"

Remus and Peter (who was still attempting to run a hand through his hair) both nodded and headed inside. Sirius hesitated for a moment, looking to James' line of vision at Lily, before rolling his eyes and grumbling, "See you later, Prongs."

James approached Lily, who looked up at him. She gave him a small smile, which James thought was a good sign. He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Enjoying the party?"

Lily shrugged, but didn't reply. James frowned. Looking back up at his, she quickly tried to cover herself. "Oh, it's not that I'm not enjoying myself! It's fun… really!"

James grinned. "Right…" He said, disbelieving.

"Really!" She said again. "I just… needed a break from the drink! You guys _had_ to put a refilling charm on them, didn't you?"

"Would you have expected anything else?"

"Guess not, coming from you four." It was silent for a few moments, before Lily indicated to the floor next to her. "You can sit down if you'd like."

James blinked, a bit surprised, before sliding down the wall next to her. "I can't get too close… your hair might hit me," he joked.

"It is kind of a childish costume, isn't it?"

James didn't know the last time she sounded so unsure of herself and it made his heart sink. He shouldn't have teased her so much about it before, but he could never seem to control himself around her. Anything that she would reply to – anything to get a rise out of her – he just did it, without thinking of the repercussions. "It's cute."

Lily scoffed. "Yeah, _cute."_

"What? What's wrong with 'cute'?"

Lily sighed. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong with it. It's just… that's always what people think of me, right? You have no idea how many people told me they were surprised to see me tonight. It's not like I don't ever go to parties or drink! I just haven't always attended these because I knew it was you who organized them and, before this year, I thought Severus would be angry with me and I didn't want that to happen because-"

She stopped abruptly, looking at James with wide eyes, as if remembering he was there. "Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone off like that! It's probably your stupid 'All Hallows Naï-Eve' that's making me act like this."

James shook his head. "There's no reason to be sorry. I don't mind listening. And, if it helps, I think Pippi Slongstocking is pretty fit."

Lily laughed; it was a beautiful sound that lingered in James' ears. "Thanks, Potter."

"Anytime, Lily."

Lily stood up, wiping her pants clean with her hands. "I should probably get-"

James interrupted her quickly. "You want some hot cocoa? I know where the kitchens are."

Lily bit her lip – Merlin, why did she have to do that to him? – and paused slightly before answering. "With marshmallows?"

James pushed himself off the ground. "Of course with marshmallows. Who in their right mind would offer cocoa without marshmallows?"

Lily quietly looked down and James wondered if she was thinking about Snape again. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lily laughed. "Ok, then," she said. "Hot cocoa, with the obvious marshmallows, it is!"

"Excellent."

* * *

After leaving James outside, Remus, Sirius, and Peter headed back into the party. Sirius' mood had visibly darkened and he immediately headed to the drink table, grabbing up another glass of 'All Hallow's Naï-Eve,' as they had ditched their cups before the prank. Not eager to stay with them and sustain Sirius' temper, Remus looked around the room for Hestia.

He saw her in the corner with Whitby, causing Remus to roll his eyes. So much for her being done with him. About to look away and take Sirius' lead on another drink, he noticed her shake her head fervently. Without another thought, he took off in long strides, reaching her side in less than a minute, even with the crowd of students blocking his way.

"Is there a problem?" he said directly to Hestia, not even acknowledging the other prefect, though he could see Whitby's jaw clench in anger out of the corner of his eye.

"Remusss!" Hestia said gratefully, her voice louder than normal. Judging by the way her once-elegant bun was falling out of its clip and her bright lipstick was smeared on the corner of her mouth, Remus thought she must have had one too many glasses of 'Naï-Eve' while he was gone.

"Hayden keeps trying to 'ake me go wit' him, but I keep 'minding him that _he_ broke up wit' me yesterday!" Her words were slurred and the drink she was holding spilled over the side of her hand. She turned to Whitby to say the next words. "You broke up wit' me yesterday! Remember? Remus, he did!"

"I know," Remus said gently, shooting a glare towards Whitby. He decided not to bring up that fact that, earlier, Hestia had told him that she and Whitby decided to break things off together. Remus pushed past Whitby, which caused his hand to drop from where it was wrapped around Hestia's arm. After reaching for Hestia's drinking and placing it on the table next to them, Remus turned to Whitby and addressed him for the first time. "I think it's time for you to leave."

Whitby opened his mouth to respond when, suddenly, both Peter and Sirius were standing next to Remus. After glaring at each of the Marauders, he abruptly turned on his heel and stalked from the party.

"Fucking arsehole. Never liked him," Sirius muttered, though Remus knew he had never met Whitby before just now.

"We saw from across the room, but we couldn't tell what was going on until we got closer," Peter explained.

"Thanks."

Sirius shrugged. "What did he want anyway?"

Surprisingly, it was Hestia's loud, slurred voice that answered from behind Remus. "To shag me. He wanted to fuck me in tha' broom cupboard o'er there – " She pointed to a rather large cupboard on the other side of the room and all three boys followed with strange looks on their faces. " – but I wasn't gonna _fuckin' _let him!"

Sirius laughed loudly and Remus recognized some of the familiar brightness coming back to his features as his foul mood slowly disappeared. He clapped Remus on the shoulder sympathetically. "Good luck, mate."

"You're going to need it," Peter agreed.

Once they left, Remus turned back to Hestia. "Let's get out here, shall we?"

Hestia nodded her head and, almost as soon as they began walking, stumbled forward. Remus grabbed her waist quickly in a rare display of agility. "You should 'ave tried out for Quidditch," Hestia told him and he laughed before loosening his grip on her. Before he could completely remove his arm, however, she grabbed his hand and pulled. "Don't go."

And Remus wasn't about to disobey.

* * *

Lily and James sat facing one another on one of the counters in the kitchen, empty mugs of hot chocolate next to them, both their wands behind their backs.

"One, two, three, GO!" Lily shouted, giggling, and both pulled their wands out, tapping the ends to each other. From Lily's sprouted the small shadow of a flobberworm, while James' wand showed the shadow of a dragon.

Lily instantly pumped her fist in excitement, laughing. "Yes!" she exclaimed animatedly. "Flobberworm beats dragon! I win… _again!_"

James groaned, displeased from his multiple losses. "You know, I never understood that. Flobberworms don't eat anything but plants. How can they possibly lose to a dragon that breathes fucking_ fire?"_

"I always thought it was because flobberworms are so small compared to dragons that they can just hide under the dragon's body. But who knows? It doesn't really make a difference, because I still won!"

"Yeah, yeah… alright, I guess it's my turn, then? I'd have to say that I like a girl with a good pair of –"

James put his hands in front of his chest and moved his fingers into a cupping motion but, before he could go any further, Lily smacked his shoulder hard.

"I was going to say _legs! _Any girl of mine would need to have a good set of _legs! _Damn, Evans, get your head out of the dungeon."

Lily folded her arms across her chest. "I know exactly what you were going to say, James Potter!" Lily looked to the ceiling, thinking. "Now, what if she had a nice-sized mole, right in the middle of her forehead?"

"Break it," James shrugged easily.

"James! That's so shallow!"

"No, it's not. All I would be able to do is stare at it when talking to her and she'd know and we'd just into arguments about it and break up anyway, so what's the point?"

For the past hour or so, James and Lily had been playing a game of "Make It or Break It," where they had to tell the other a quality they'd like in a significant other before deciding whether a bad quality would keep or break the imaginary relationship. They had decided whose turn it was by playing 'Dragon, Hippogriff, Flobberworm," and James had been losing terribly. Much to his dismay, Lily had learned more about what he'd like in a potential mate than he had learned about what she looked for.

They put their wands behind their backs and counted to three again. Once again, Lily produced a flobberworm, but James' wand showed a hippogriff and he grinned arrogantly. "On with it, Evans."

"I guess I would like a guy who can make me laugh," she said after some thought and James snorted in skepticism.

"I don't believe it."

"Why?"

"You really need to ask me that?" James said, leaning forward and moving his hands as he talked. "Look at the last three boyfriends you've had, Lily! Sure, they've all been nice, romantic, and the perfect guy to bring home to mum and dad. But they've also all been boring as hell!"

"They have not!" she replied indignantly.

"Andrew Jamson was in the _choir."_

"Every girl loves a bloke who can sing!"

"Not a bloke who sings like a twelve year old girl."

"Andrew does_ not _sing like a girl."

"Whatever you say, Evans," he said. "What if your guy told you that you weren't always right?"

"I know you're expecting me to say break it, but I'm not going to. Honesty is important in a relationship and no one is right all of the time."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"Lily Evans, you're not always right and the fact that you say your ex-boyfriends weren't the dullest teenagers at Hogwarts proves that."

Lily glared, her face turning red, but she didn't reply, causing James to laugh triumphantly. Wordlessly, she moved her wand behind her back and grinned when she won.

Still laughing, James said, "I'd like someone who challenges me."

He thought about his words and his smile fell at the realization that, for the entire game, he had been describing Lily. His jaw clenched involuntarily, kicking himself for inviting her to the kitchens and for not being able to take Sirius' advice to 'just get over her.' James' sudden seriousness caused Lily anger to evaporate, curiosity and… worry, was it?... overcoming her.

"What?" she asked him.

James blinked and looked at her in surprise. "Nothing."

Instead of trying to pry, Lily smiled and hit his knee playfully. "It shouldn't be so hard to find someone to challenge you, as you're not particularly clever."

James chuckled gratefully, glad that Lily hadn't pushed it. "Twat."

"Prat," she said, before giggling adorably and putting her wand behind her back again. "Don't worry, Potter. I'll go easy on you. I know your poor ego needs the satisfaction.

James just shook his head, thinking that he could get used to her like this. If she'd allow it.

* * *

It took twice as long for Remus and Hestia to get back to the entrance of the Hufflepuff common room than normal. Being Halloween, the corridors were fuller than usual for such a late hour and, with Remus' arm around Hestia's waist and her head on his shoulder, the two received many sly looks along the way.

He steadied her in front of the door reluctantly, missing the feeling of their bodies being close to another, but scolding himself for the thought at the same time. "Well, goodnight then."

"'Night," Hestia's reply was soft and, though her voice was still slurred from the 'Naï-Eve,' it wasn't as bad as earlier. "Thank you… fer helping me with Hayden. He's such an arse sometimes."

"That's what Sirius thought, too."

"Sirius doesn't even know him, does he?"

Remus laughed. "No, but first impressions are big with Sirius."

Hestia looked sullen. "He must think I'm some kind of tart, then."

"No, he likes you."

"Why would he?"

Remus shrugged, as if the answer were simple. "Because I do."

And, suddenly, Hestia was throwing her arms around Remus' neck, pulling him closer until their lips touched. Remus stiffened, unsure, before easing into the kiss. He put his arms around her again, his mouth moving naturally against hers. He could feel the kiss throughout his entire body, weighing heavy on his stomach, a flutter in his chest, an aching in his groin. He had wanted this since the very day he met her, wrapped up in the corridor with Whitby, her lovely voice jumbling together with nonsensical sentences.

It only took him moments to taste the alcohol. This wasn't right. Hestia couldn't even walk to the entrance without his help. She wouldn't be kissing him had he not helped her with Whitby. She wouldn't be kissing him if she hadn't enjoyed the ever-filling cups of 'Naï-Eve.'

Remus pushed her away.

"Not like this."

Hestia's eyes widened, a mixture of hurt and anger crossing her features. "What? No, come 'mere." She reached for him once more, but Remus took a step back.

"Not like this," he repeated firmly.

Her voice softened and Remus saw the familiar look of self-loathing etched into her features again. "It's because you don't think I'm pretty, isn't it?"

"No! No, it's –" Remus tried to reassure her. He wanted to tell her that under any othercircumstance he would love to kiss her, that he's wanted to kiss her for weeks now, that he thought she was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, but she cut him off.

"Or maybe you just think I'm a bint like everyone else!"

"Hestia –"

"What does it say about me if I can't even get _Remus Lupin _to kiss me?"

Remus' took another step back, hurt. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Hestia looked at him, the emotions displayed on her face changing with every second. "Nothing. I was just –"

"You meant it, though, right? You think I'm some sort of loser, don't you? You probably wonder why James and Sirius would _ever _hang around someone like _me."_

"Remus, don't be daft."

Remus' voice grew even angrier. All his fears about the odd relationship he and Hestia shared were coming to light. He knew this was how she felt, probably felt all along. And he had _fallen _for it. "I'm not the daft one here, Hestia! Look who helped you tonight! I don't see anyone else around. Good luck next time, Hestia."

He moved quickly to leave and did not turn back when he heard her call for him. Even when he felt a pain in his chest that he suspected might be his heart breaking.

* * *

The dress was ruined.

Now a sixth year, Mary MacDonald was determined to go to the Marauders' Halloween party. Last year, her dorm mates had gone without her and it was all anything had talked about for weeks. As usual, Mary couldn't join the conversation. This year would be different. She would show up in a beautiful costume and prove to everyone that she _wasn't _'Wary Mary.'

After taking up a part-time job over the summer, Mary had made enough money to, not only help out her parents with their financial problems, but also to buy the fabric to make a costume for the party. Being so young, she wasn't able to use money outside of Hogwarts, but her mum had always been good with the sewing machine. She had heard from eavesdropping on her dorm mates that all the students were to go to the party dressed up as something Muggle-like, a fact that made her perk up in excitement. Because who better to dress up as something Muggle than a Muggleborn?

The dress was made from pretty blue satin, equipped with glitter and clear high heeled shoes that looked like glass. The obvious choice for her costume had been a princess; she remembered a time before Hogwarts when she went trick-or-treating and how she had always wanted to look as pretty as the other girls.

Mary had been proud of the costume and couldn't wait until October to wear it. She had hidden it from the other girls in her dorm, wanting to see their faces when she walked in. Just like the entrance on the real _Cinderella. _Maybe, if she was lucky, she'd even find her prince. But the girls had gotten ready earlier than she had and, in true fashion, they looked so much better than she knew she would.

So she had decided to make some adjustments.

Trying for the shimmering sparkles she had seen on her dorm mates, she brought out her wand and tried a few enchantments. They had made it look natural, but charms had never been Mary's best subject. On the fourth spell, the dress had changed its color. When trying to fix it, she accidently ripped off one shoulder strap. After the tears started flowing, she waved her wand and brown spots appeared on the skirt.

The dress was ruined.

Mary was worthless.

She had put it on anyway, but didn't go to the party. Instead, she headed outside to the courtyard. She liked looking at the stars when she was upset. It always helped to calm her down. She saw one of her dorm mates, Trudy, along the way. Trudy had one hand wrapped around a bloke's waist and the other was carrying a drink that periodically changed colors. When Trudy saw Mary's outfit and burst out laughing, it was more than Mary could take. This was supposed to be _her _night and it was not going well at all.

Running from Trudy and her embarrassment, Mary didn't even notice the four wizards sitting in the courtyard, only slightly covered by the shadows.

* * *

"This wouldn't be taking so long if you had gotten here on time, Snape," Mulciber growled to Severus, who rolled his eyes.

"Have something to get back to?" he drawled.

"More like some_one,_" Avery chimed in, chuckling.

"At least I'm getting laid." Mulciber voice was gruff, but the smirk was evident on his face. Avery's laughter died down instantly and his eyes narrowed to Mulciber.

"This will take even longer if you two continue to argue," came the quieter, calm voice of Regulus Black. The other three boys looked at him, surprised. It wasn't often Regulus spoke during these meetings.

"Black is right," Severus said. "The Dark Lord has asked you to lead the revolution at Hogwarts and distractions wouldn't be wise now."

"Says the bloke who cavorted with a Mudblood for ages."

Snape didn't flinch, but his jaw tightened. "You know that's over, Mulciber. _Leave it_."

"The Dark Lord wouldn't like to know that –"

Mulciber's voice broke off, the sudden noise of heels against the courtyard's cobblestone echoing through the dark night. Suddenly, a young girl came into view. She was obviously crying, her make-up streaming down her face, and was sporting an ugly dress of red and brown spots.

"That's Mary MacDonald," Regulus whispered to the others. "She's in my year."

"Status?" Mulciber's voice was terse.

Regulus hesistated.

"_Status?_" Mulciber repeated, this time more harshly.

Regulus' voice was barely audible. "Mug – _Mudblood._"

"Excellent." Mulciber grinned, pulling out his wand. "Hello," he said louder.

Mary turned, eyes widening at the sound and she rubbed them quickly. "Oh, I – I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was out here. I can go." She turned to leave, but Mulciber reached out, grabbing her arm to stop her. She jumped, a squeak emitting from her mouth.

"Don't be worried, love, I just want to see your costume." Mulciber pulled her towards him, whipping her around to face him. "Mmm… pretty. It_ almost_ looks like a professional made it."

"Thanks," Mary replied quietly, looking to the ground.

Mulciber put his finger underneath her chin. "Look up, love. I want to see your eyes when I do this."

"Do what?"

"_This._" In a flash, he waved his wand before Mary had time to react. The curse hit her square in the chest and her knees buckled, smacking against the cobblestone loudly as she fell. Avery and Mulciber laughed while Snape pursed his lips and Regulus looked around nervously.

"Take over, Avery, my arm hurts." Mulciber lowered his wand after several minutes, causing Mary's screams to stop.

From her place on the ground she gasped, "Pl – please! D – don't do th – this. I won't tell a – anyone!"

"Shut up, Mudblood!" Mulciber growled. "Avery!"

Avery stepped forward eagerly and Mary's screams resumed. Mulciber wiped his hand on his robes. "Ugh – I can't believe I touched that bint. I've got _Mudblood _on me."

Snape rolled his eyes.

"Guys, someone will hear! _Filch –_" Regulus' voice shook.

"Shut up, Black. It's Halloween and we've found ourselves a present. We deserve this."

Snape crossed his arms, looking bored. Mary MacDonald meant nothing to him. As the minutes dragged on, however, and her screams got hoarser and weaker, he began to see red hair and green eyes.

And he flinched.

* * *

Lily laughed as she and James strolled around the castle. They had started their walk about an hour before and, shortly after, realized how late it was getting and decided to head back to the party. They suspected it was probably dying down by now, but James insisted for Sirius' sake. She was standing closer to James than normal, but he didn't mind. They had sobered up during their late-night cocoa run, but Lily's cheeks were still a bit flushed and she had taken her pointed pigtails out, leaving her thick hair wavy. He wanted to run his fingers through it.

"The Arrows are _not _going to go to the Cup this year, Potter. They've got Johnson as their seeker and he's terrible. He wears eyeglasses, for Merlin's sake!"

"What's wrong with eyeglasses?" James said, hurt.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Nothing. But a seeker needs _good _eyesight, you twit."

"Johnson's not so bad. Besides, when did you become an expert on Quidditch?"

"I love Quidditch. I just don't like watching _you _play it."

"Wow, you just know exactly what to say to kick a bloke when he's down, don't you, Evans?" But James was smiling.

"People say I have that ability, yes. Did you –" But Lily cut off quickly, bringing her hands to her mouth, stifling a scream.

"What?" But James followed her gaze when he heard shuffling ahead of them. Three people were fleeing quickly and, while James didn't get a good look at them, he could guess who they were by the horrifying scene in front of him. Mulciber stood with his wand raised, a bloodied girl on the ground before him. Her eyes were shut and James silently wondered if she could be dead.

"Mary?" Lily's voice was quiet.

James finally recognized the girl as Mary MacDonald, who was in the year below him. He drew his own wand. "Mulciber, what the fuck did you do?"

Mulciber shrugged, as if he wasn't worried that the Head Boy and Girl had seen him; that he could get expelled, or even sent to Azkaban. "I wouldn't expect you to know, Potter. This magic is way beyond your ability." He looked at Lily with distaste. "Or your _friend's._"

"_Expelliarmus!" _Lily yelled, drawing her wand quickly and ignoring Mulciber's demeaning comment.

Mulciber turned on her, glaring. "You think you can take the wand from someone superior, you dirty Mudblood –"

"Is that why you did this to Mary? Because she's like me?" Lily said, kneeling beside the girl to gently hold her head. She noticed Mary was still breathing, but it was shallow and she was unconscious. Lily waved her wand over Mary's still form, remembering what she could from her training.

"She deserved it! Just like you do! It'll be your time soon. Just you wait!"

James, having pulled his wand earlier, stepped forward quickly and pushed Mulciber against the wall. Digging his wand into Mulciber's neck, he said darkly, "Is this what you need to do to feel big? To feel important? Well, I have some tricks up my sleeve, too. How would you like to experience every bone in your pointless little body break? Because I can do that." He leaned closer, teeth gritting. "And I can make it slow and painful. I'm sure you know all about that."

Mulciber turned his head away from James, grimacing. "Your Mudblood is calling you."

And, sure enough, Lily was saying his name, desperate for his attention. "James! Don't worry about him! We need to help Mary!"

Ashamed that he let his temper get away from him, but feeling like Mulciber deserved exactly what he said, James stepped back hesitantly.

"What is going on here?" All three heads turned at the sound of Filch's voice and, in an instant, Mulciber pushed James further away and ran, following his friends.

"Mr. Filch!" Lily cried out. "We need help!"

* * *

Several hours later, James stood with Lily at the bottom of the girl's dormitory steps. "Mary was such a sweet girl, James," Lily said. "She didn't deserve that."

"_Is,_" James replied tersely. "Mary _is _a sweet girl. She didn't die, Lily."

"You knew what I meant." And they were silent.

James grinded his teeth, running a hand through his hair angrily. "The other three that ran – one was Snape, you know."

"You can't be sure of that," Lily said, looking down at the ground.

"I can't believe you're still defending him!" James said, making an indignant noise.

"I'm not!" She replied, raising her voice. "There's just no way to prove that – it could have been anyone!"

"You can say that even after seeing Mary? I should've known you would do this, Lily! I should've known that, even after everything Snape did, you'd still see him like you did before."

Lily crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows. "You mean, the way he was when you bullied and terrorized him for years?"

"He did not do this because of what I did when I was_ fifteen_!"

"This is so like you –" Lily started, angry, before taking a deep breath to try and calm down. "I know that you're upset… about seeing Mary like that… about not catching the others."

"Of course I am! And you should –"

She held up a hand to stop him. "I think we should just say goodnight now and try to get some sleep. We can't talk like this, not right now."

James clenched his jaw, but didn't respond. "See you tomorrow," he said, nodding curtly and turning to go upstairs, where he knew Sirius was likely still awake.

As expected, Sirius looked at him as he entered, while Remus and Peter's curtains were drawn around their bedposts. "Finally get into Evan's knickers?" he said, only a small slur left in his voice. "Or did she just tease you enough to make you think you've got a chance and then turn you down like always?"

As Sirius laughed, James glowered. "Mary MacDonald was attacked tonight. Mulciber and some of the other Slytherins cursed her until she was almost killed. Lily and I found her, bleeding, on our way back to the party."

Sirius was silent. James went to his bed and kicked off his shoes. He was exhausted and, yet, he doubted sleep would come quickly.

"You ok?" Sirius asked quietly.

"I'm fine. I wasn't the one who suffered dark magic for Merlin knows how long."

Sirius frowned. "I just meant – ah, shit – nevermind."

James sighed. "Evans and I got into it downstairs. I think Snape helped Mulciber, but she says we can't know that for sure. Fuck, I guess she's right."

"You know it was him, Prongs. Sounds like something that would make Snivellus spunk in his pants."

"I know, I just –" James stopped abruptly, putting his head in his hands. "I can't believe he's caught up to us. Here, at Hogwarts. I thought we were supposed to be safe."

Sirius didn't have to ask who James was talking about. "You want me to stay up for a while?"

James looked up and shrugged. "You don't have to."

But Sirius reached into his trunk and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He threw James one and lit his own with the tip of his wand. They sat in silence, but it was enough.

* * *

Severus sat on the windowsill in his dormitory. Mulciber hadn't come back, but Severus couldn't worry about him. He would probably get expelled, but it was his own fault. It had been idiotic to continue cursing that Mudblood for as long as he did. Severus could not find it in himself to feel sympathy for his dorm mate.

He had given up trying to sleep hours ago and instead had opted for staying awake, staring out the window and idly playing with his wand. He wasn't worried about the MacDonald girl; she'd survive. Instead, he was more worried about who had found them on the courtyard.

Leave it to Potter to be wandering about after hours without any repercussions, but Severus couldn't help but wonder how he had roped Lily along. It had been Severus's initial warning to Avery and Regulus that made them flee. Subconsciously, he always waited for Lily's approach and could hear her voice and laughter from a mile away. Still, he hadn't expected to look back during his flee and see the familiar black hair and glasses of James Potter accompanying her.

He leaned his head back against the wall, sighing loudly. Had Lily been lying to him all these years? Severus could remember every time she had dismissed Potter's pursue of her – could remember all the times she rolled her eyes at Potter and Black's brutal antics. Yet, he had heard her laugh today, completely at ease with walking the corridors with the one person Severus loathed more than anyone.

He clenched his fist around his wand, desperately wanting to point it and wipe away Potter's pathetic existence. Is this how Lily repaid him? Casting him aside because of one mistake and shacking up with the enemy? There was no way he would let this happen. Potter could not win.

Severus would not go down without a fight.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though Halloween was months ago! For the people who have read my new one-shot, I did not mean to have Mary's attack in both, posted so closely together. It was just a coincidence!

We had many responses to last chapter's question, most of which were James and Ginny. I would agree with both of those statements! We also had one Molly Weasley, which was great to see, because Molly's awesomeness is definitely not discussed enough!

My answer would probably be Ginny, as well. Many people based off what they see in the movies as her character, when her character was much more badass than that! And, to the argument that she only loved Harry for his fame, I say bullshit. Sure, the _crush _may have started out that way, but I don't believe her _love _for him did. Her love can be shown when he needs to break up with her and she accepts it. When he leaves to search for Horcruxes and she supports it. She's able to tell him when he's being ridiculous and remind him that Voldemort affected more people than just him. She's amazing and doesn't deserve the hate she sometimes gets!

I think I'll have to skip out on the question for this chapter, but I'm sure I'll ask another later on in the story.

_**Please review! **_


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